Spain's Dani Ceballos named Player of the Tournament
Friday, June 30, 2017
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Dani Ceballos is the first winner of UEFA's new U21 EURO Player of the Tournament award, the Real Betis midfielder having made a huge contribution to Spain's run to the final.
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Spain midfielder Dani Ceballos has been named Player of the Tournament for his performances over the past fortnight.
The 20-year-old from Real Betis, who received the award on the pitch after Spain's defeat by Germany in the final, is the first player to claim the newly-minted individual accolade. He started Spain's campaign on the bench but came on against FYR Macedonia and subsequently started against Portugal, Italy and Germany.
Ceballos said after receiving his award: "It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm pleased to be the best player but right now I'd swap the trophy to be a [European] champion."
The winner was selected by UEFA's team of technical observers, who were looking for players to display exceptional skills, make decisive contributions, show a positive attitude and, crucially, dedicate their individual abilities to the collective efforts of their team.
UEFA's team of technical observers here in Poland comprises the following coaches from around Europe:
Peter Rudbaek, Denmark
Mixu Paatelainen, Finland
Thomas Schaaf, Germany
Stefan Majewski, Poland
Dany Ryser, Switzerland
Ginés Meléndez Sotos, Spain