• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Lewandowski, Neuer, De Bruyne nominated for UEFA Player of the Year Award

Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer have been nominated alongside Kevin De Bruyne for the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, UEFA announced on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich duo Lewandowski and Neuer starred as Bayern won the Champions League, beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final in Lisbon in August.

Lewandowski scored an astonishing 55 goals in 47 games as Bayern won the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup. He top-scored in the Champions League with 15 goals.

fellow teammate, Neuer also played a key role in Bayern’s triumphant campaign, while Manchester City’s midfielder and Belgian playmaker De Bruyne set up 33 goals in the English Premier League and was nominated despite Man City finishing second to Liverpool on the table and exiting the Champions League in the quarterfinals to Lyon.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi just missed out on being shortlisted, coming fourth in the vote by a jury comprising the 80 coaches of the clubs that participated in the group stages of last season’s Champions League and Europa League, along with 55 selected journalists, one from each of UEFA’s member associations.

In the Women’s category, England star Lucy Bronze is a contender to win the women’s prize for the second year running after helping Lyon win the Champions League for the fifth season in a row before recently signing for Manchester City.

Her Lyon colleague, the France defender Wendie Renard, is also shortlisted alongside the Danish striker Pernille Harder, who recently joined Chelsea after helping Wolfsburg get to the Champions League final.

The winner will be announced –- along with the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year — on October 1, when UEFA hold the draw for this season’s Champions League group stage at their headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.