UEFA award winners 2022: Benzema, Putellas win Best Player of the Year, Ancelotti best men’s coach
Following the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage draw, European governing body UEFA announced the winners of last season’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
Last year, Chelsea’s Jorginho won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year 2020/21 award, while Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won the women’s award.
Karim Benzema was the front-runner in the men’s trophy and he took home the title, bringing him a step closer to his expected triumph at the prestigious Ballon d’Or on October 17. The Real Madrid forward was incredible last season, scoring 42 goals between La Liga and Champions League and leading his club to a famous double.
In recent years, UEFA has also presented individual position-specific awards, with awards for best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best striker. However, UEFA confirmed to The Sporting News that those awards have been axed. It’s not immediately clear if those awards have been removed permanently or just for this season.
The Sporting News brings you all the information ahead of the awards ceremony following the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday 25 August.
MORE: Which teams are in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League?
2021/22 UEFA Player of the Year Award
There are three nominees for the Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards.
UEFA Player of the Year: Karim Benzema
The Real Madrid forward was the undisputed winner of this accolade, leading all Champions League goalscorers with 15 goals en route to another European title, giving him 42 goals in total between La Liga and continental competitions.
With the World Cup looming and the French national team called up, Benzema is in top form. The 34-year-old is expected to follow that accolade with the Ballon d’Or, which will be presented in mid-October.
Shortlisted nominees:
| player | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Karim Benzema | real Madrid | France |
| Thibaut Courtois | real Madrid | Belgium |
| Kevin De Bruyne | man city | Belgium |
Recent UEFA Men’s Player of the Year winners
| Year | player | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Jorginho | Chelsea | Italy |
| 2019/20 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | Poland |
| 2018/19 | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | Netherlands |
| 2017/18 | Luke Modric | real Madrid | Croatia |
| 2016/17 | Cristiano Ronaldo | real Madrid | Portugal |
UEFA Female Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas
Before Alexia Putellas fell to the ground in agony with an ACL injury just before Euro 2022, she rose to the top of the world football game. Putellas, the Ballon d’Or champion, has taken Barcelona to new heights.
She led Barcelona to the Champions League final last summer and scored 18 goals with 15 assists in La Liga last season while helping the Blaugrana to a runaway title.
Shortlisted nominees:
| player | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Beth Met | arsenal | England |
| Lena Oberdorf | Wolfsburg | Germany |
| Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | Spain |
Recent Player of the Year winners
| Year | player | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2019/20 | Pernille Harder | Wolfsburg | Denmark |
| 2018/19 | Lucy Bronze | Lyons | England |
| 2017/18 | Pernille Harder | Wolfsburg | Denmark |
| 2016/17 | love martens | Barcelona | Netherlands |
2021/22 UEFA Coach of the Year award
Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti, who guided Real Madrid to the club’s record 14th Champions League en route to domestic and continental doubles, remains one of the finest coaches in world football.
Ancelotti is the only manager in history to have won four Champions League titles, twice with AC Milan and now twice with Real Madrid. He had previously won the competition twice as a player with AC Milan.
Nicknamed ‘Don Carlo’, Ancelotti made two incredible comebacks in the second leg en route to last year’s Champions League title. First, he defeated PSG 3-2 on aggregate after falling 2-0 at half-time in the second leg, before sending Man City home 6-5 on aggregate after a 4-3 first-leg defeat.
Shortlisted nominees:
| Coach | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Carlo Ancelotti | real Madrid | Italy |
| pep Guardiola | man city | Spain |
| Jürgen Klopp | Liverpool | Germany |
Current winners:
| Year | player | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Thomas Tuchel | PSG & Chelsea | Germany |
| 2019/20 | Hansi Flick | Bayern Munich | Germany |
| 2015/16 | Claudio Ranieri | Leicester City | Italy |
| 2014/15 | Luis Enrique | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2013/14 | Unai Emery | Seville | Spain |
The Men’s Coach of the Year award was previously known as the European Football Coach of the Season award, which has been defunct since 2016. The award was revived in 2020 for UEFA’s Best of awards.
Women’s Coach of the Year: Sarina Wiegman
England coach Sarina Wiegman wins this year’s Coach of the Year award. The 52-year-old only joined the national team in November and guided England to the Euro 2022 crown. With 18 wins and two draws, she has yet to lose a single game against England.
A former midfielder for the UNC Tar Heels and with 99 caps for the Netherlands national team, Wiegman coached the Netherlands for four years before joining England.
Shortlisted nominees:
| Coach | club/team | nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Sonja Bompastor | Lyons | France |
| Martina Voss-Tecklenburg | Germany | Germany |
| Sarina Wiegman | England | Netherlands |
Current winners:
| Year | player | association | nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Luis Cortes | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2019/20 | Jean Luc Vaseur | Lyons | France |
2021/22 UEFA Goal of the Year award
UEFA has a technical committee that selects the top 10 goals of the season across all UEFA league and cup competitions.
Once the 10-goal shortlist is established, the UEFA Goal of the Year award will be split into two awards. One is chosen by the technical committee, while another is voted on by the fans.
Best Goal Nominees 2021/22 (Check out the goals here)
| player | association | date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karim Benzema | real Madrid | April 6, 2022 | Chelsea |
| Vinicius, Jr. | real Madrid | October 19, 2021 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Kylian Mbappe | PSG | February 15, 2022 | real Madrid |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | November 23, 2021 | Dynamo Kyiv |
| Marco Asensio | real Madrid | December 7, 2021 | Inter |
| Alex Telles | man united | September 29, 2021 | villa real |
| Sebastian Till | Sheriff Tiraspol | September 28, 2021 | real Madrid |
| Rodrygo | real Madrid | April 12, 2022 | Chelsea |
| Lionel Messi | PSG | September 28, 2021 | man city |
| Thiago | Liverpool | November 24, 2021 | postage |
Technical Observers’ Goal of the Year: Karim Benzema 1st goal v Chelsea, 6 April 2022
Karim Benzema’s hat-trick against Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals helped set the stage for Real Madrid’s title shot.
The 3-1 first-leg win, inspired by Benzema’s hat-trick, saw Madrid return home to seal the deal and secure a place in the final.
Benzema’s first goal was the best of them all, a header just outside the penalty spot that gave goalkeeper Edouard Mendy no chance. Vinicius Jr’s delivery was just behind the France striker but Benzema managed to contort his body perfectly to deliver a header from long-range.
Fan Goal of the Year: Thiago, Liverpool vs Porto, 24 November 2021
Thiago’s deep strike in the 2-0 win over Porto in the Champions League group stage won the fan vote for the best goal of the 2021/22 season.
Recent winners (check out past Goal of the Year winners here):
| Year | player | association | date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Mehdi Taremi | postage | April 13, 2021 | Chelsea |
| 2018/19 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | May 1, 2019 | Liverpool |
| 2017/18 | Cristiano Ronaldo | real Madrid | April 3, 2018 | juventus |
| 2016/17 | Mario Mandzukic | juventus | June 3, 2017 | real Madrid |
| 2015/16 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | May 6, 2015 | Bayern Munich |
Note: The UEFA Fans Goal of the Year award was not awarded in 2019/20 due to COVID-19.
UEFA President’s Award
The UEFA President’s Award is presented to recognize achievement, personality and other qualities across European football.
According to the official description of the UEFA award, the President’s Award is given to those who “deliver outstanding achievements that transcend sport”.
“The UEFA President’s Award recognizes professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities on and off the pitch.”
Last season, Denmark national team captain Simon Kjaer received the award along with the fieldside medical team during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 match at Copenhagen Stadium. They were recognized for their actions in saving the life of Christian Eriksen, who collapsed during the game and was revived on the pitch.
This year the award goes to Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi, who guided AC Milan to the Serie A title in 1987/88 and back-to-back European titles in 1989 and 1990.
“Although Sacchi never played top-flight football, he was always a model student of the game,” said UEFA President Alexander Ceferin in the official UEFA statement.
“Sacchi reinvented the ethos of teamwork that went beyond mere harmony on the pitch. Perfect synchronization and a winning mentality, whether playing home or away, felt almost supernatural in the 1980s. That’s exactly what excellence differs from ambitious.”
Previous UEFA Presidential Award winners
| Year | winner |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Arrigo Sacchi |
| 2021 | Simon Kjaer & Danish medical staff |
| 2020 | Didier Drogba |
| 2019 | Eric Canton |
| 2018 | David Beckham |
| 2017 | Francesco Toti |
| 2014 | Joseph Masopust |
| 2013 | John Cruyff |
| 2012 | Franz Beckenbauer |
| 2011 | Gianni Rivera |
| 2010 | Raymond Kopa |
| 2009 | Eusebio |
| 2008 | Sir Bobby Charlton |
| 2007 | Alfredo di Stefano |
| 2006 | Wilhelm Straub |
| 2005 | Frank Rijkaard |
| 2004 | Ernie Walker |
| 2003 | Paul Maldini |
| 2002 | Sir Bobby Robson |
| 2001 | Juan Santisteban |
| 2000 | Guy Roux |
| 1998 | Jacques Delors |
*The award was not presented in 1999, 2015 or 2016