Former Bayern professional David Alaba has been named "Austria's Footballer of the Year 2022".
The national player from Real Madrid prevailed in the election organized by the APA news agency among coaches and sports managers from the twelve Bundesliga clubs ahead of Marko Arnautovic, Leipzig's Konrad Laimer and Gernot Trauner.
For Alaba it is the ninth honor as footballer of the year, making the 30-year-old ÖFB captain the record holder.
The defender had won the Champions League and the Spanish championship with Real this year.
“It makes me very happy and is very important to me personally.
It's a great honor that makes me proud and also grateful because it's a huge honor for me," said Alaba.
"I am very happy"
National player Julia Hickelsberger-Füller from Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim was honored for the first time in the women's category.
"It's the biggest thing I've won as an individual so far.
I'm really happy," said Hickelsberger-Füller, according to the Austrian media.
The striker won with 14 points ahead of Bayern Munich's Sarah Zadrazil and Eileen Campbell (Altach), who received eleven votes each.
Julia Hickelsberger-Füller
had won the national double of championship and cup with SKN St. Pölten in the summer and then switched to the German Bundesliga.
There she met four times in ten competitive games.
The 23-year-old is characterized by enormous speed.
Her physical presence in duels is also praised.
So far she has played 26 international matches for Austria, in which she scored seven goals.