Zurich: Two players from La Liga champions Real Madrid are on the UEFA Player of the Year shortlist. Champions League top scorer Karim Benzema and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois have been included in the Champions League team. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is third. The final three were selected by a panel consisting of coaches and selected journalists.
The list of coaches includes Madrid’s Anchalotti, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp and City’s Guardiola. The winners will be announced on August 25 in Istanbul, Turkey. The draw for the Champions League group stage will also take place on that day.
Real Madrid is the team that owns La Liga and Champions League. Benzema scored 15 goals, including three valuable ones against Manchester City in the semi-finals, and was the star of the Champions League season. After scoring the second goal against Frankfurt last night in the European Super Cup, Benzema became the second player to score the most goals for Real with 324.
Cristiano is in the lead. Curtua was the man of the match in the match where Liverpool were defeated by one goal in the final. De Bruyne made the list after leading City to the Premier League title. It is also noteworthy that there is no one from Liverpool this time. Robert Lewandowski was fourth.