UEFA has announced the introduction of five new players’ awards, aimed at recognising the top performers in UEFA club competitions each season. These new accolades will be presented alongside the annual UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year awards in Monaco at the end of August.
The following will be presented during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw on 24 August:
- Goalkeeper of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season
- Defender of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season
- Midfielder of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season
- Attacker of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season
The following will be presented during the UEFA Europa League group stage draw on 25 August:
- UEFA Europa League Player of the 2016/17 season
The five new competition-specific prizes will complement the existing UEFA Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards, which will be presented during the UEFA Champions League draw ceremony as in previous years. These are for all players who have played in Europe and are based on performances during the previous season across all competitions, both domestically and internationally, at club and national-team levels.
