The Frenchman from Real Madrid Karim Benzema became the new Ballon d’Or on Monday, accompanied in the box by the Spanish from Barcelona Alexia Putellas, who repeated the award for the second consecutive year.
Completing the roll of honor was his teammate Gavi, Kopa trophy for the best under-21, who received the award from his teammate Pedri, who had achieved it last year. The Yashin trophy for the best goalkeeper went to Real Madrid’s Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Benzema came out as the great winner of the night as all the pools pointed out, after a great season in which the Frenchman became the stiletto of a Real Madrid champion of Spain and Europe and after having chained several carat seasons.
Thanks to this, he overtook the Senegalese Sadio Mané, who left Paris with second place, an award for the runner-up in Europe that he won with Liverpool, before signing for Bayern Munich, and for Senegal’s victory in the Africa Cup.
Mané also took home the first Sócrates trophy, which rewards social actions off the pitch, which was given to him by Rai, the brother of the Brazilian legend.
The podium was completed by the Belgian of Kevin de Bruyne, from Manchester City – also chosen as the club of the season – while the fourth was the current Barcelona attacker Robert Lewandowski, who also won the Müller award, for the top scorer of the year.
Benzema, who is over 34 years old, becomes for months the oldest winner since the series began, the British Stanley Matthews.
The Frenchman, of Algerian origin, received the award from Zinedine Zidane, the man who trusted him the most at Real Madrid, and also the last Frenchman to win the award, in 1998, after three other Frenchmen had done so before , Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini and Jean-Pierre Papin.
PEOPLE’S BALL
He was also sheltered on stage by his parents and his son and assured that his is “the people’s award”, which he explained refers to all the fans who have supported him since his inception and in the most difficult moments.
He recalled the desert crossing he suffered when he was accused of complicity in blackmailing a teammate, which earned him more than three years apart from the “bleu” and little loved by the fans.
“But I didn’t collapse, I kept working in training, thinking that I was lucky to play football. I am proud of my career », he assured.
Benzema thus broke the curse he had with this award, which seemed elusive to him. Even last year, when he also had a great season, he was relegated to fourth place behind Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jorguinho.
In the first year without the Argentine among the candidates in fifteen years, the Frenchman becomes the second player to break the Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo tandem, after his Croatian teammate Luka Modric did it in 2018.
Alexia Putellas’ joy was almost greater than last year’s, because on this occasion she won the award after suffering a serious injury that kept her away from the pitch and caused her to miss the last European Championship.
“I ask myself every day if this dream is real, since I’m a professional,” said the Barcelona player, who recognized the progress of women’s football in Spain, although she asked for more professionalism to “amuse the fans.”
Putellas praised Barça and refused to enter into the controversy that the Spanish team is experiencing, where several players have given up going with the current coach, Jorge Vilda.
She was the second Barcelona player to take the podium after Gavi, who became the second consecutive Blaugrana to win the Kopa trophy and who, at 18 years old, inscribed his name on a list that already includes names like Kylian Mbappé and Matthijs de Ligt.
Gavi showed his gratitude to his family and “to the people who have been in the bad times and the good ones”, to the club of his life, “Barça, to the teammates”, and to all those who “have helped him to be here . Thank you very much and visit Barça.”
Courtois, brand new Yashin award for his great performances with Madrid, assured that “last year was wonderful”, after succeeding the Italian Gianluiggi Donnarumma in the list of winners. EFE
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The entrance players worth gold was first published in The Independent.
