Although the UEFA Champions League group-stage draw has immediately set tongues wagging about the numerous heavyweight matchups to come, Chelsea’s Jorginho and Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas are celebrating their player of the year awards.
The Chelsea man beat off teammate N’Golo Kante and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne to win the award after his UCL and UEFA Euro 2020 success with Italy while Putellas was key in Barca becoming European soccer’s strongest female force right now.
President Aleksander Ceferin’s award to Simon Kjaer and the medical staff who helped to save Christian Eriksen’s life this summer started the ceremony in emotional style before the individual positional winners were named.
Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy and Kante took goalkeeper and midfielder respectively while City’s Ruben Dias and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland took home the defensive and offensive titles.
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Sandra Panos, Irene Paredes, Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso completed a Barca clean sweep on the women’s side, but it should be noted that Paredes has only just returned from Paris Saint-Germain and was not part of last season’s success.
- Men’s Player of the Year: Jorginho
- Women’s Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas
- Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Edouard Mendy
- Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Sandra Panos
- Men’s Defender of the Year: Ruben Dias
- Women’s Defender of the Year: Irene Paredes
- Men’s Midfielder of the Year: N’Golo Kante
- Women’s Midfielder of the Year: Alexia Putellas
- Men’s Striker of the Year: Erling Haaland
- Women’s Striker of the Year: Jennifer Hermoso
