The Championship title comes on Saturday but FC Bayern München’s Manuel Neuer is already picking up prizes. The goalkeeper received the 2014 European Athlete of the Year and the 2014 World Athlete of the Year awards today. The European association of sports journalists (UEPS) and their global counterparts (AIPS) award the honours.
“It’s not often that both organisations select the same athlete,” said Hans-Joachim Zwingmann, who is a member of the German sports journalist association. He gave the AIPS Football Commission’s trophy to Neuer earlier. “Manuel certainly deserves the honour. The world’s sports journalists have made the correct choice.”
UEPS president Yannis Daras, who was also in Munich to congratulate Neuer, praised him for his performances during last year’s World Cup. “Those who saw him play in the World Cup were left with a lasting impression. His nomination for this award comes as a result of his incredible performances, the way he conducts himself on the pitch and how he interacts with the media.”
Finishes ahead of Federer twice
Neuer thanked those who selected him for the honours, but also his teammates at domestic and international level: “Without those guys I wouldn’t be able to win them.” The 29-year-old is the third footballer to win the UEPS award, which was inaugurated in 1983. Michel Platini (1984) and Lothar Matthäus (1990) are the previous victors.
In terms of the European award, he finished ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The global award saw him beat Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Championship title comes on Saturday but FC Bayern München’s Manuel Neuer is already picking up prizes. The goalkeeper received the 2014 European Athlete of the Year and the 2014 World Athlete of the Year awards today. The European association of sports journalists (UEPS) and their global counterparts (AIPS) award the honours.
“It’s not often that both organisations select the same athlete,” said Hans-Joachim Zwingmann, who is a member of the German sports journalist association. He gave the AIPS Football Commission’s trophy to Neuer earlier. “Manuel certainly deserves the honour. The world’s sports journalists have made the correct choice.”
UEPS president Yannis Daras, who was also in Munich to congratulate Neuer, praised him for his performances during last year’s World Cup. “Those who saw him play in the World Cup were left with a lasting impression. His nomination for this award comes as a result of his incredible performances, the way he conducts himself on the pitch and how he interacts with the media.”
Finishes ahead of Federer twice
Neuer thanked those who selected him for the honours, but also his teammates at domestic and international level: “Without those guys I wouldn’t be able to win them.” The 29-year-old is the third footballer to win the UEPS award, which was inaugurated in 1983. Michel Platini (1984) and Lothar Matthäus (1990) are the previous victors.
In terms of the European award, he finished ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The global award saw him beat Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo.
