It’s an unmissable event at the end of the season. This Sunday, May 28, the day after the penultimate day of Ligue 1, the UNFP trophy ceremony will take place. An event, organized each year by the national union of professional footballers, during which various awards are given to distinguish the players in French football who have distinguished themselves during the year that is ending. The nominees in each category were announced on Tuesday.
Best player: Mbappé goes straight for it
They left their mark on the minds of their opponents and fans
Above the rest all season, they deserve to be nominated for the UNFP Trophy for Best Player of @Ligue1UberEats
J. David, S. Fofana, K. Mbappé, L. Messi, L. Openda ⭐️ #UNFP Trophiespic.twitter.com/alwnttMCTb
— UNFP (@UNFP) May 16, 2023
On Sunday May 28, the best goalkeepers in the championship will also be honoured. The Italian goalkeeper of PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma, already winner last year, is again named, alongside the Spaniard Pau Lopez (OM) or the Portuguese Anthony Lopes (OL). Revelation of the season in the North, the young Lille native Lucas Chevalier (21) is also in the running, as is his counterpart from RC Lens, Brice Samba, called up for the first time in the France team during the last rally in March. .
The female D1, also represented
Beautiful people also in the category of the best hope where five talents will compete for the trophy won last season by William Saliba, now essential at Arsenal. Author of a quadruple on the lawn of Lyon ten days ago despite the 5-4 defeat of his team, Montpellier striker Elye Wahi (20 years old – 17 goals this season) presents solid arguments. Just like the indestructible Parisian left side Nuno Mendes (20 years old). Opposite them, the Lyonnais Rayan Cherki (19) and Bradley Barcola (20) have grown this season within the Rhone club and are coming forward as credible candidates. In the same way as the Monegasque nugget Eliesse Ben Seghir (18 years old).
A ceremony which will include women’s football as every year since the best player in D1 will also receive a trophy. Leading the championship with OL, Delphine Cascarino could be overtaken by PSG striker Kadidiatou Diani, already distinguished on Monday at a ceremony organized by the French Football Federation. Her teammate Grace Geyoro is also named, as is the Haitian Melchie Dumornay (Stade de Reims) and the young Ivorian Rosemonde Kouassi (21) who plays for FC Fleury 91. Awarded last year, the Parisian Marie-Antoinette Katoto hasn’t played a single game this season due to injury.
Elegance [nom féminin] : aesthetic quality, class embodied with the ball at your feet ⭐️
The nominees for the UNFP Trophy for Best Player of the Year in @D1Arkema
D. CASCARINO, K. DIANI, M. DUMORNAY, G. GEYORO, R. KOUASSI #UNFP Trophiespic.twitter.com/CcCNhkKpoR
— UNFP (@UNFP) May 16, 2023
Christophe Galtier absent from the list for the title of best coach
Finally, the event will give pride of place to the best coaches of the season, especially in Ligue 1 where they will be five to compete for the trophy gleaned by Bruno Genesio last year. The Rennes coach is not a candidate for his own succession and his PSG counterpart, Christophe Galtier is not on the list either. True architect of Lensois success this season, Franck Haise seems to be leaving with a (small) head start on Igor Tudor (OM), Paulo Fonseca (Lille), Philippe Montanier (Toulouse) and Pascal Gastien (Clermont).
They have a job with multiple hats, and the best of them are nominated for the UNFP Trophy for the Best Coach of @Ligue1UberEats :
P. FONSECA
P. GASTIEN
F.HAISE
P. MONTANIER
I. TUDOR#UNFP Trophiespic.twitter.com/knACKu2PYK— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) May 16, 2023
Other trophies will be awarded this Sunday, May 28 and will reward, among other things, the best Ligue 2 coach but also the best second division player, the best goalkeeper and the best hope of women’s D1 or the citizen player prize, rewarding the associative commitment of certain players.