DBasia.news – Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk won the 2019 European Footballer of the Year award and defeated two of his competitors, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Since the start of the European Player of the Year award – not the Ballon d’Or or FIFA Player of the Year – in 2011, no player has played as a defender who won it. Since 2011, Messi has won it twice and Ronaldo three times, while the remaining three were taken by Andres Iniesta, Franck Ribery, and Luka Modric.
Van Dijk, 28, won the award after bringing Liverpool last season’s Champions League – the sixth European title – and on his way to defeating Barcelona in the semifinal phase.
Last season, the £ 75 million defender recorded five clean sheets in 12 Champions League appearances, scoring two goals and giving two assists. The award also complemented the Liverpool Player of the Year award for fans and PFA.
In his remarks on the stage at the 2019 European Footballer of the Year ceremony accompanied by the Champions League group draw, Thursday (29/8) night Western Indonesian Time, Van Dijk did not forget to thank his teammates at Liverpool.
“I have to think about my teammates; without them, I would not have achieved what I have achieved in the past year. The experience is long, but this is part of my journey,” Van Dijk was quoted as saying on the official UEFA website.
“I have to work hard at every step along the way and I am happy to have done it. I am happy to receive this trophy – this is an award for all who have worked with me,” continued the former Celtic and Southampton defender.
In addition to the 2019 European Footballer of the Year award, Van Dijk also won the Best Defender award, plus his teammate at Liverpool, Alisson Becker won the Best Goalkeeper title to beat Hugo Lloris and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.