Karim Benzema has been voted the UEFA Player of the Year and few will argue that he deserves it.
Perhaps only Real Madrid teammate Thibaut Courtois could have arrived with a serious argument to keep Benzema from winning. The French forward scored 15 goals in the Champions League on the way to the trophy and was crucial in all of their knockout ties.
Speaking after the award was presented to him, he told Sport that the best moment was their first comeback, against Paris Saint-Germain.
“The best moment of that Champions League was the return leg against PSG, we were able to come back thanks to the support of our fans.”
He also had some kind words for his manager Carlo Ancelotti, who picked up the prize for Coach of the Year.
“Ancelotti is the best manager in the world, he gives me a lot of confidence.”
Benzema will now look forward to a series of awards with a strong hope that he can take all of the individual prizes this year. The Frenchman scored 44 goals last season and was the most essential player in the most successful side.
To win it at the age of 34 would be testament to Benzema’s persistence and professionalism.
