UEFA Best Player in Europe Award
The UEFA Best Player in Europe Award is an association football award given to the footballer playing for a football club in Europe that is considered the best in the previous season. The award, created in 2011 by UEFA, is aimed at reviving the European Footballer of the Year Award (Ballon d'Or),[1][2] which was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2010 to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or.[3] It also replaced the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.[4]
The inaugural award was won by Lionel Messi in 2011.[5] Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrés Iniesta and Messi were shortlisted for the 2012 award, which was won by Andrés Iniesta.[6][7] Franck Ribéry beat out fellow finalists Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win 2013 award.[8][9] Cristiano Ronaldo won 2014 award by beating fellow finalists Manuel Neuer and Arjen Robben and became the only player who had made the final three in each of the four years that the competition was held.[10]
In 2013, UEFA announced the UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe Award, a parallel award for women's association football players.[11]
Criteria
According to UEFA, the award "recognise[s] the best player, irrespective of his nationality, playing for a football club within the territory of a UEFA member association during the previous season."[1] Players are judged by their performances in all competitions, domestic and international, and at club and national team levels throughout the season.[1]
Voting
The award's voting format is a return to the old Ballon d'Or, which was decided purely by journalists.[2]
In the first round of voting, 54 sports journalists representing each of the UEFA national associations provide a list of their three best-ranked players from one to three, with the first player receiving five points, the second three points and the third one point. The three players with the most points overall are shortlisted.[1] The jury comprises renowned sports journalists representing each of UEFA's national associations, from RTV Albania to the Daily Post in Wales via members of European Sports Media, with whom UEFA collaborated on this award.[12] The final vote, also by the journalists, then takes place live via electronic voting during the presentation ceremony.[1]
Award history
Winners
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 |  Lionel Messi |
 Barcelona |
| 2011–12 | Andrés Iniesta |
Barcelona |
| 2012–13 |  Franck Ribéry |
 Bayern Munich |
| 2013–14 |  Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
Finalists
Winner Shortlisted
2010–11
| Rank | Player | First round | Final round | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi |
– | 39 | Barcelona |
| 2 | Xavi Hernández |
– | 11 | Barcelona |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
– | 3 | Real Madrid |
| 4 | Andrés Iniesta |
33 | – | Barcelona |
| 5 |  Radamel Falcao |
17 | – | Porto |
| 6 |  Wayne Rooney |
15 | – | Manchester United |
| 7 |  Nemanja Vidić |
5 | – | Manchester United |
| 8 |  Zlatan Ibrahimović |
4 | – |  Milan |
| 9 | Gerard Piqué |
4 | – | Barcelona |
| 10 | Manuel Neuer |
3 | – | Schalke 04 |
2011–12
| Rank | Player | First round | Final round | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrés Iniesta |
– | 19 | Barcelona |
| 2 | Lionel Messi |
– | 17 | Barcelona |
| Cristiano Ronaldo |
– | 17 | Real Madrid | |
| 4 | Andrea Pirlo |
90 | – | Juventus |
| 5 | Xavi Hernández |
57 | – | Barcelona |
| 6 | Iker Casillas |
53 | – | Real Madrid |
| 7 |  Didier Drogba |
31 | – | Chelsea |
| 8 |  Petr Čech |
14 | – | Chelsea |
| 9 | Radamel Falcao |
14 | – | Atlético Madrid |
| 10 | Mesut Özil |
10 | – | Real Madrid |
2012–13
| Rank | Player | First round | Final round | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franck Ribéry |
– | 36 | Bayern Munich |
| 2 | Lionel Messi |
– | 14 | Barcelona |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
– | 3 | Real Madrid |
| 4 |  Arjen Robben |
57 | – | Bayern Munich |
| 5 |  Robert Lewandowski |
39 | – | Borussia Dortmund |
| 6 | Thomas Müller |
38 | – | Bayern Munich |
| 7 | Bastian Schweinsteiger |
32 | – | Bayern Munich |
| 8 |  Gareth Bale |
24 | – | Tottenham |
| 9 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic |
14 | – | Paris SG |
| 10 | Robin Van Persie |
10 | – | Manchester United |
2013–14
| Rank | Player | First round[13] | Final round | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
– | 27 | Real Madrid |
| 2 | Manuel Neuer |
– | 18 | Bayern Munich |
| 3 | Arjen Robben |
– | 9 | Bayern Munich |
| 4 | Thomas Müller |
39 | – | Bayern Munich |
| 5 | Philipp Lahm |
24 | – | Bayern Munich |
| Lionel Messi |
24 | – | Barcelona | |
| 7 | James Rodríguez |
16 | – | Monaco |
| 8 |  Luis Suárez |
13 | – | Liverpool |
| 9 | Ángel Di María |
12 | – | Real Madrid |
| 10 | Diego Costa |
8 | – | Atlético Madrid |
See also
- UEFA Team of the Year
- UEFA club competition records
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "UEFA Best Player in Europe Award launched". UEFA. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Landolina, Salvatore (18 July 2011). "Uefa Launches Best Player In Europe Award". Goal.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ↑ "UEFA announces new award". ESPNSoccernet. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ↑ "UEFA announces Shortlist for UEFA Best Player in Europe". UEFA. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "Messi wins UEFA Best Player in Europe Award". UEFA. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ "Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo up for Best Player Award". UEFA. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ↑ "Iniesta wins Best Player in Europe Award". UEFA. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ↑ Matar, Daniella (29 August 2013). "Ribery wins UEFA Best Player in Europe award". Miami Herald. Associated Press. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ↑ "Franck Ribéry wins UEFA Best Player in Europe Award 2012/13". UEFA.com. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ↑ "Uefa 2014 voting". UEFA. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ↑ UEFA Media Services (22 August 2013). "UEFA launches Best Women’s Player in Europe Award". UEFA. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ↑ "The voting panel". 14 August 2012.
- ↑ "NEUER UND ROBBEN UNTER DEN TOP 3 EUROPAS". fcbayern.de. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
External links
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