August 25 – Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was named UEFA men’s player of the year on Thursday and his manager Carlo Ancelotti took the coaching award after they led the club to a 14th Champions League title last season.
Benzema scored 15 times in the competition and lifted the trophy for a fifth time in his career after Real beat Liverpool in the final.
The 34-year-old also netted 27 goals in the Spanish top flight, nine more than any other player, while Ancelotti became the first coach to win Europe’s most prestigious club trophy four times, repeating his feat with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 and in a previous spell with Real in 2014.
Asked on stage in Istanbul what the magic ingredient was, Ancelotti replied: “The passion I have for the sport and the quality of the players.
“Last season there was a fantastic connection between the veterans and young ones, there was fantastic chemistry with the supporters that helped us reach an unbelievable achievement.”
On Benzema, Ancelotti added: “Karim is not just a fantastic striker and top scorer, he’s a fantastic footballer, supported by great attitude day by day.”
Sarina Wiegman was named the women’s coach of the year after leading England to their first ever major trophy, beating eight-times champions Germany in the Euro 2022 final.
“I’m very honoured and humbled,” said the Dutchwoman, the first coach to achieve back-to-back successes after leading her homeland to the 2017 title.
Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won the women’s player of the year, beating England’s Beth Mead and Germany’s Lena Oberdorf to the top prize.
Putellas, who won the award last year along with the Ballon d’Or, netted 34 goals for Barcelona last season as the club won all the domestic trophies and reached the Champions League final.
The 28-year-old was expected to lead Spain at the Euros but suffered a serious knee injury days before the tournament started.
Voting was done by coaches whose teams played in European competitions plus selected journalists across Europe.
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