FEATURE | Dubious selections & glaring omissions: UNFP awards nominees scrutinised
01/05/2024 17:06
Any award that rewards individual performance in football is inherently divisive. The metrics of success widely oscillate and each fan sets their own goalposts. It was no different on Tuesday as the UNFP nominees were announced, eliciting particularly fierce reactions.
The UNFP awards, where footballers in France’s top two flights nominate their own colleagues for awards such as Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, are held annually, with this year’s ceremony set to take place later in May. The nominees have now been announced and there are plenty of talking points.
There were certainly some glaring omissions. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha, described as “one of the best in the world in his position” by his manager, Luis Enrique, has had a standout season. Impressing in the Champions League and part of PSG’s triumph in Ligue 1, Vitinha has made 42 appearances this season, and whilst his impact is rarely measured in goals and assists, he has nonetheless added statistics to his game this season (nine goals, five assists).
« WOOOOOH » « INCROYAAABLE » « YEEEEEEES » « TROP CHAAAAUD » P-E.AUBAMEYANG, O.DEMBÉLÉ, P.LEES-MELOU, K.MBAPPÉ, E.ZHEGROVA
— UNFP (@UNFP) April 30, 2024
Fournisseurs officiels de moments d'euphorie cette saison.
Ils sont nommés pour le Trophée UNFP du Meilleur Joueur de la saison en… pic.twitter.com/IN3UXx8CB4
The managerial category arguably garnered the most attention. Most notably, fans decried the absence of Olympique Lyonnais’ Pierre Sage, who has taken Lyon from the depths of the relegation zone and into European contention in Ligue 1, as well as a Coupe de France final. However, as he does not yet possess his licence, he was ineligible to be nominated.
One manager who certainly could, and perhaps should have been nominated is AS Monaco’s Adi Hütter. The Austrian has taken a side that finished sixth last season and out of the European places entirely, to second in Ligue 1 with three games remaining. The Principality club are on the verge of qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League and Hütter has more than played his part.
Hütter has sought to bring champagne football to the Principality and he has done that. Monaco have the second-best attack in the division, as well as the most shots on goal and the second-most touches in the opponent’s box. The Austrian’s attacking brand of football has also entailed devising an efficient pressing system with nine goals coming from turnovers high in the opponents’ half.
Un grand match, c'est 22 grands acteurs sur le terrain mais aussi 2 excellents metteurs en scène sur le banc de touche
— UNFP (@UNFP) April 30, 2024
Ils sont ceux qui font de la @Ligue1UberEats un blockbuster incroyable toute la saison
Les nommés pour le Trophée UNFP de Meilleur Entraîneur de Ligue 1… pic.twitter.com/l2i5e5SQNn
Francesco Farioli, who looks set to guide OGC Nice to European qualification in his first season at the club, as well as Toulouse FC’s Carles Martínez Novell, who not only comfortably led Le TéFéCé to safety but also guided them to the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, can also feel hard done by. Neither were nominated. RC Lens’ Franck Haise and Le Havre AC’s Luka Elsner are both perhaps slightly dubious picks despite both showcasing their talents in different phases of the season.
The most inexplicable choice in all the categories is Eliesse Ben Seghir as Young Player of the Year. Last season, under Philippe Clement, the Monaco forward burst onto the scene. He was hoping to consolidate his rise this season but serious injuries, one of which required surgery on his shoulder, have prevented him from doing so.
Ben Seghir, who made his Morocco debut earlier in the season, has accrued just 273 minutes of game time in Ligue 1 all season. In that time, he has one goal and one assist. There are certainly more deserving candidates. To be eligible, players must be under the age of 21 on 1st April 2024; once again, many young players have shone in the League of Talents.
Remember the names…
— UNFP (@UNFP) April 30, 2024
Voici les nommés pour le Trophée de Meilleur Espoir de Ligue 1 Uber Eats :
E.BEN SEGHIR, R.CHERKI, D.DOUÉ, L.YORO, W. ZAÏRE-EMERY
#TropheesUNFPpic.twitter.com/gfMvMLVUDq
At Monaco, Soungoutou Magassa, who has featured less prominently since Thilo Kehrer’s arrival in January, had an excellent start to the campaign, and in an unfamiliar position too. There is also the example of Guillame Restes, a mainstay in Toulouse’s goal all season, who is destined for big things, or FC Metz’s Lamine Camara, who has excelled this season, featuring for Les Grenats on 28 occasions and also winning the award for Young Player of the Tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
There is plenty of whataboutism when it comes to nominating and designating these individual awards and no two lists will look the same but it is clear to see why these UNFP awards have elicited such strong reactions.
