Player Of The Year: Kante, Jorginho, De Bruyne Make UEFA Final List

European football’s governing body, UEFA has shortlisted Chelsea duo of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho alongside Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne for the men’s player of the year prize for the 2020/21 season.

In a statement on Thursday, UEFA said the shortlist was selected by a jury composed of the coaches of the 24 national teams who took part in Euro 2020.

It added that the jury was also composed of 80 coaches of the clubs which played in the group stages of last season’s Champions League and Europa League, as well as one journalist from each of UEFA’s 55 member associations.

The statement stated that the winner will be revealed at a ceremony in Istanbul next Thursday, August 26, when the draw for this season’s Champions League will also take place.

UEFA Men’s Player of the Year nominees

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium)

Runner-up for this award 12 months ago, the Belgian picked up where he left off as he inspired City to the Premier League title and through to the Champions League final where a facial injury forced him off.

Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy)

Became only the tenth player to win a European Cup and a EURO in the same year, starting every EURO 2020 game for Italy having missed just one in the Blues’ run to Champions League glory.

N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea & France)
Finished the Champions League season like a train, with Player of the Match performances in both legs of Chelsea’s semi-final win against Real Madrid and then the final against City.

The rest of the top ten
4 Lionel Messi (Barcelona, now at Paris & Argentina) – 148 points
5 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern & Poland) – 140 points
6 Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan, now at Paris & Italy) – 49 points
7 Kylian Mbappé (Paris & France) – 31 points
8 Raheem Sterling (Man. City & England) – 18 points
9 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus & Portugal) – 16 points
10 Erling Haaland (Dortmund & Norway) – 15 points

The three players on the shortlist for the women’s prize are Jennifer Hermoso, Lieke Martens and Alexia Putellas, all of whom won the Champions League with Barcelona.

Lluis Cortes of the Catalan club was listed for the women’s coach award along with Peter Gerhardsson, who won the Olympic silver medal with Sweden, and Emma Hayes of Chelsea, English Women’s Super League champions and Champions League runners-up.

The women’s awards were voted for by the coaches of clubs who reached the last 16 of the women’s Champions League and coaches of the top 12 women’s national teams, along with a panel of journalists.