UNFP Trophies: Kylian Mbappé crowned best player for the fourth consecutive time

Cyrille de la Morinerie with AFP // Photo credit: JEAN CATUFFE / DPPI VIA AFP 09:17, May 29, 2023

King Kylian IV extends his reign with a fourth consecutive title of best player of the season, Sunday at the UNFP Trophies, which also crowned Franck Haise, the coach of Lensois, dauphin of Paris Saint-Germain. A new record for the voracious Mbappé, captain of the France team and Paris Saint-Germain. He now surpasses Zlatan Ibrahimovic, three times crowned with this prize awarded by the players' union (UNFP) since 1994, where the winners are chosen by the vote of their peers.

He spoke of his "pride. To leave my name in the history of my country's championship is extraordinary, it's what I've always wanted, I didn't think I was going to succeed so quickly." Mbappé is ahead of his teammate Lionel Messi, absent at the ceremony at the Gabriel pavilion, a stone's throw from the Champs-Élysées. His trophy was presented to him by his coach, Didier Deschamps, and his first words were for his teammate Sergio Rico, substitute goalkeeper, victim Sunday morning of a serious horse accident. "There are much more important things than football, the whole club is with him, I wanted to have a sense of priorities by talking about that first," Mbappe said.

"Leave my name in history"

The France champions leave with another prize, that of best hope, awarded to Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes. The Lensois dolphins also collect two prestigious awards, because the king of the bench comes from the mine. In three years, Franck Haise has built in Lens a team in constant progress until the second place of L1, behind the untouchable PSG, with yet the 10th budget of the country. Bruno Genesio's successor in the list qualified the Blood and Gold for their first Champions League since 2002-2003. "It's the recognition of a club, a collective, it will always be the most important," said Franck Haise on stage, hailing his "exceptional group, with sometimes music a little loud for the ears, an exceptional group for three seasons".

The beautiful season in Lense also owes a lot to the new best goalkeeper in Ligue 1, Brice Samba, elected a year after Gianluigi Donnarumma. If Karim Benzema has retained his prize for best French abroad, in the women's category, the trophy for best player of the D1 Arkema should not console the Lyonnaise Delphine Cascarino, injured knee and forfeit for the World Cup.

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A Just Fontaine award for the most beautiful goal

She received her award from Jean-Michel Aulas, for his farewell to the presidency. This pioneer of women's football also has in its ranks the best goalkeeper, the Chilean Christiane Endler, his rivals PSG being satisfied with the best hope, Laurina Fazer. In L2, the Georgian international of Metz Georges Mikautadze has won, Le Havre, leader all season and about to go up in L1, has the best coach, the Slovenian Luka Elsner, and the best goalkeeper, Arthur Desmas.

As for the game directors, François Letexier was elected best central referee and Hicham Zakrani, who officiates with Benoît Bastien, best assistant. A posthumous honorary prize was awarded to Just Fontaine, legendary top scorer of the 1958 World Cup with 13 goals, who died this year, and his name will now be attached to the prize for the most beautiful goal of the season, in L1 as in L2.

The public vote chose this year the Montpellier Elye Wahi for his acrobatic return against Lyon, and in L2 the Stéphanois Mathieu Cafaro for a goal against Annecy. Finally, the citizen player trophy was awarded to Marshall Munetsi, who donates part of his salary to his association for access to education for young people in Zimbabwe. "Where I come from education is never free, 10 or 20% of my salary can change lives," said the Rémois, another sovereign of the evening.