The European football association UEFA announced on Thursday which players can call themselves the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and attacker of the past season in the Champions League. Chelsea won two of the three possible elections. Last year Bayern Munich dominated the award ceremony after winning the Champions League: the best goalkeeper, defender and attacker came from Munich.
The 24 national coaches of the past European Championship, the 80 trainers of the clubs that participated in the Champions League and the Europa League last season and 55 journalists were asked as part of a jury to provide a shortlist of three men per line.
Édouard Mendy was ahead of Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) and Ederson (Manchester City) in the election of the Goalkeeper of the Season in the Champions League. The Chelsea goalkeeper kept his goal clean no less than nine times in twelve Champions League matches, including the final battle against Manchester City. Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain), Neuer (Bayern Munchen), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan, now Paris Saint-Germain), Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona), Agustín Marchesín (FC Porto) and Alisson Becker (Liverpool) round out the top ten.
Rúben Dias was the somewhat surprising winner among the defenders. Antonio Rüdiger and César Azpilicueta won the Champions League at the expense of Manchester City, but the defender of the Citizens received the most votes. Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), John Stones (Manchester City), David Alaba (formerly Bayern Munich, now Real Madrid) and Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) ) complete the top ten.
Kanté received the most votes in the election for best midfielder. He was ahead of teammate Jorginho and Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City. Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Pedri (Barcelona), Georginio Wijnaldum (formerly Liverpool, now Paris Saint-Germain) and Kai Havertz (Chelsea) complete the top ten.
Erling Braut Haaland, good for ten goals in eight Borussia Dortmund matches, was ahead of Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) and Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain). Lionel Messi (formerly Barcelona, now Paris Saint-Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea) and Romelu Lukaku ( formerly Internazionale, now Chelsea) round out the top ten.