Gerard Moreno named 2020/21 Europa League Player of the Season
Friday, August 27, 2021
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Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno finished ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani in the poll of coaches and journalists.
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Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno has been named the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League Player of the Season.
The 29-year-old finished ahead of Manchester United pair Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani to win the fifth edition of the award, which was announced during the UEFA Europa League group stage draw in Istanbul.
Villarreal's leading marksman for the past two seasons, Gerard Moreno showcased his attacking wiles on the international stage with seven goals and five assists in 12 outings to become Europa League top scorer as Villarreal claimed their first major European honour.
Top ten players of the 2020/21 Europa League
1 Gerard Moreno (Villarreal) – 289 points
2 Bruno Fernandes (Man. United) – 160 points
3 Edinson Cavani (Man. United) – 44 points
4 Paul Pogba (Man. United) – 36 points
5 Pau Torres (Villarreal) – 34 points
6 Raúl Albiol (Villarreal) – 19 points
7 Daniel Parejo (Villarreal) – 18 points
8 Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma) – 14 points
9 Étienne Capoue (Villarreal) – 8 points
= Nicolas Pépé (Arsenal) – 8 points
How Gerard Moreno was selected
A jury was formed of the coaches of the 48 clubs in last season's group stage, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, one from each UEFA member association.
Jury members picked their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. Coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own team.
Previous winners
2019/20: Romelu Lukaku
2018/19: Eden Hazard
2017/18: Antoine Griezmann
2016/17: Paul Pogba
Other 2020/21 awards
UEFA Men's Player of the Year: Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy)
UEFA Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona & Spain)
UEFA Women's Coach of the Year: Lluís Cortés (Barcelona)
UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: Rúben Dias (Man. City)
UEFA Champions League Men's Midfielder of the Season: N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea)
UEFA Champions League Men's Forward of the Season: Erling Haaland (Dortmund)
UEFA Women's Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: Sandra Paños (Barcelona)
UEFA Women's Champions League Defender of the Season: Irene Paredes (Barcelona)
UEFA Women's Champions League Midfielder of the Season: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
UEFA Women's Champions League Forward of the Season: Jenni Hermoso (Barcelona)