Irene Paredes named 2020/21 Women's Champions League Defender of the Season
Thursday, August 26, 2021
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Irene Paredes has won the UEFA Women's Champions League Defender of the Season award.
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Irene Paredes has been named the 2020/21 UEFA Women's Champions League Defender of the Season at the UEFA Awards ceremony in Istanbul.
The Spain centre-back captained Paris Saint-Germain to the Women’s Champions League semi-finals, as well as the French title, ending Lyon’s five-year reign as European champions in the last eight before being pipped by Barcelona – the club that Paredes then joined this summer.
Paredes, 30, came sixth in the voting for the inaugural award last term, won by Wendie Renard who finished sixth this time around. Just behind Paredes this time was her now colleague at Barcelona, Mapi León, with Chelsea captain Magdalena Eriksson third.
Defender of the Season voting
1 Irene Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain) – 62 points
2 Mapi León (Barcelona) – 56 points
3 Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea) – 42 points
4 Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain) – 29 points
5 Marina Hegering (Bayern München) – 24 points
6 Wendie Renard (Lyon) – 16 points
7 Marta Torrejón (Barcelona) – 9 points
8 Millie Bright (Chelsea) – 6 points
9 Laia Aleixandri (Barcelona) – 3 points
= Lucy Bronze (Manchester City) – 3 points
Clubs listed are those that players took the pitch for during the 2020/21 UEFA Women's Champions League (i.e. not including as unused substitute).
Paredes’s 2020/21 in numbers
Appearances: 6
Minutes: 524
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded: 6
Goals scored: 2
Assists: 0
Roll of honour
2020/21 – Irene Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain)
2019/20 ─ Wendie Renard (Lyon)
How the award works
The jury comprised the coaches of the clubs that participated in the 2020/21 UEFA Women's Champions League round of 16 and 20 journalists specialising in women's football and selected by the ESM group. Jury members chose their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams.
The other awards
UEFA Men's Player of the Year: Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy)
UEFA Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona & Spain)
UEFA Men's Coach of the Year: Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
UEFA Women's Coach of the Year: Lluís Cortés (Barcelona)
UEFA Women's Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: Sandra Paños (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)
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)