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| Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward #07 Kylian Mbappe celebrates after receiving the Best Players Ligue 1 Award at the end of the TV show at the UNFP (French National Professional Football players Union) trophy ceremony, in Paris on May 13, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) |
Kylian Mbappe was named France’s player of the year on Monday at an awards ceremony in Paris, as he comes to the end of his seven-season stay with Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe, 25, picked up the prize for the best player in Ligue
1 at the UNFP (French players’ union) Trophies gala for the fifth time in a row
after a season in which he has scored 44 goals in all competitions for PSG.
The France captain last week confirmed he will leave PSG at
the end of the campaign when his contract expires, with Real Madrid expected to
be his next destination.
Mbappe played his final home game for PSG on Sunday and
scored as the champions suffered a shock 3-1 defeat against Toulouse.
That goal took him to 27 for the season in Ligue 1, eight
goals more than the next best marksman, Lille’s Canadian striker Jonathan
David.
The season is not finished yet, with Mbappe’s PSG having two
more Ligue 1 games to play this week before the French Cup final against Lyon
on May 25.
Mbappe saw off the other nominees for an award voted for by
his fellow players and handed over by Marie-Jose Perec, the French former 200m
and 400m Olympic champion.
His PSG teammate Ousmane Dembele had also been in contention
along with Pierre Lees-Melou of Brest, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Marseille
and Edon Zhegrova of Lille.
PSG’s domestic dominance was reflected in the other awards,
with teenage midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery named young player of the season and
Gianluigi Donnarumma the best goalkeeper.
Eric Roy of Brest was named coach of the year after leading
the modest Brittany club to European qualification for the first time in their
history — with one game left they are guaranteed to finish at least fifth,
meaning a Europa League place at worst.
AFP