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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been named men’s coach of the year at the FIFA Best Football Awards.
lopp became the first to win the award twice, beating Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa and Bayern Munich manager Hans-Dieter Flick’s hat-trick.
Having won last year following the Reds’ Champions League triumph, Klopp received the award again after ending Liverpool’s long wait for a Premier League title.
Klopp credited his coaching staff, saying: “I have these guys to thank. What we did in the last few years was really special. “
On the Premier League title, the German added: “I had no idea how it would feel and I felt absolutely overwhelming.”
Son Heung-min’s sublime individual goal for Tottenham against Burnley last December has been named the best in the world for the past year.
The South Korean picked up the ball on the edge of his own area during the 5-0 Premier League win before smashing through Burnley’s entire team and overtaking Nick Pope.
Son surpassed the efforts of Luiz Suárez for Barcelona and Giorgian De Arrascaeta of Flamengo, as well as Jordan Flores of Dundalk, to win the Puskas Award at FIFA’s The Best ceremony.
The award, first established in 2009, is named after former Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas.
They are following in the footsteps of people like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, James Rodríguez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mohamed Salah to claim the award.
Three Liverpool champions made up the men’s world eleven: goalkeeper Alisson Becker and defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk.
They were joined by summer signing Thiago Alcantara, while Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne was also named to the squad.
Best male XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Ramos, Davies; Kimmich, De Bruyne, Alcantara; Messi, Lewandowski, Ronaldo.
England’s defensive duo Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright were named in the World’s Best Women’s XI.
They were joined by Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema, Manchester United’s Tobin Heath and Chelsea’s Pernille Harder.
Best XI female: Endler; Bronze, Renard, Brilliant; Heath, Boquete, Bonansea, Rapinoe; Cascarino, Miedema, Harder.
England winger Lucy Bronze was named player of the year.
The 29-year-old won the hat-trick in France with Lyon before joining Manchester City in the summer.
Bronze, who edged out Pernille Harder and Frenchwoman Wendie Renard, seemed surprised by the announcement and said, “Wow, what a surprise. Even being nominated alongside the other two players, whom I know very well, both incredible players and incredible human beings.
“To have won it, I don’t think I have the words at the moment to explain how I feel. If there is one thing that 2020 has taught us, it is to appreciate every moment.
“By winning this award now, I will appreciate it more than ever and will remember this moment for the rest of my life.”
The best male award went to Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski for the first time, who beat Lionel Messi and Ronaldo.
Including previous incarnations of the award, it is only the second time in 13 years that neither Messi nor Ronaldo have won.
PA media
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