King Kylian IV extends his reign with a fourth consecutive title of best player of the season, Sunday at the UNFP Trophies, which also crowned Franck Haise, the coach of Lensois, dauphin of Paris Saint-Germain.
A new record for the voracious Mbappé, captain of the France team and Paris Saint-Germain. He now surpasses Zlatan Ibrahimovic, three times crowned with this prize awarded by the players' union (UNFP) since 1994, where the winners are chosen by the vote of their peers.
PSG and Lens widely represented
He spoke of his "pride. To leave my name in the history of my country's championship is extraordinary, it's what I've always wanted, I didn't think I was going to succeed so quickly." Mbappé is ahead of his teammate Lionel Messi, absent at the ceremony at the Gabriel pavilion, a stone's throw from the Champs-Élysées.
His trophy was presented to him by his coach, Didier Deschamps, and his first words were for his teammate Sergio Rico, substitute goalkeeper, victim Sunday morning of a serious horse accident. "There are much more important things than football, the whole club is with him, I wanted to have a sense of priorities by talking about it first," Mbappe said.
The France champions leave with another prize, that of best hope, awarded to Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes.
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The Lensois dolphins also collect two prestigious awards, because the king of the bench comes from the mine. In three years, Franck Haise has built in Lens a team in constant progress until the second place of L1, behind the untouchable PSG, with yet the 10th budget of the country.
Bruno Genesio's successor in the list qualified the Blood and Gold for their first Champions League since 2002-2003. "It's the recognition of a club, a collective, it will always be the most important," said Franck Haise on stage, hailing his "exceptional group, with sometimes music a little loud for the ears, an exceptional group for three seasons".
The beautiful season in Lense also owes a lot to the new best goalkeeper in Ligue 1, Brice Samba, elected a year after Gianluigi Donnarumma.
" READ ALSO "Even in my wildest dreams, I would not have imagined being second in Ligue 1": Brice Samba in full dream
A trophy named in tribute to Just Fontaine
If Karim Benzema has retained his prize for best French abroad, in the women's category, the trophy for best player of the D1 Arkema should not console the Lyonnaise Delphine Cascarino, injured knee and forfeit for the World Cup.
She received her award from Jean-Michel Aulas, for his farewell to the presidency. This pioneer of women's football also has in its ranks the best goalkeeper, the Chilean Christiane Endler, his rivals PSG being satisfied with the best hope, Laurina Fazer.
See alsoD1 Arkema: all the awards awarded during the UNFP trophies
In L2, the Georgian international of Metz Georges Mikautadze has won, Le Havre, leader all season and about to go up in L1, has the best coach, the Slovenian Luka Elsner, and the best goalkeeper, Arthur Desmas.
As for the game directors, François Letexier was elected best central referee and Hicham Zakrani, who officiates with Benoît Bastien, best assistant.
A posthumous honorary prize was awarded to Just Fontaine, legendary top scorer of the 1958 World Cup with 13 goals, who died this year, and his name will now be attached to the prize for the most beautiful goal of the season, in L1 as in L2.
The public vote chose this year the Montpellier Elye Wahi for his acrobatic return against Lyon, and in L2 the Stéphanois Mathieu Cafaro for a goal against Annecy.
Finally, the citizen player trophy was awarded to Marshall Munetsi, who donates part of his salary to his association for access to education for young people in Zimbabwe. "Where I come from education is never free, 10 or 20% of my salary can change lives," said the Rémois, another sovereign of the evening.
The complete list of winners:
List of UNFP trophies of the 2022-2023 season, awarded Sunday in Paris: Best player of L1: Kylian Mbappé (Paris SG) Best goalkeeper of L1: Brice Samba (Lens) Best coach of L1: Franck Haise (Lens) Best hope of L1: Nuno Mendes (POR/Paris SG) Best player of L2:
Georges Mikautadze (GEO/Metz)
Best player of Women's D1: Delphine Cascarino (Lyon)
Best referee of L1: François Letexier
Best assistant referee of L1: Hicham Zakrani
Best referee of L2: Pierre Legat
Best assistant referee of L2: Julien Pacelli
UNFP Trophy of Honor: Just Fontaine
UNFP Citizen Player Trophy: Marshall Munetsi (ZIM/Reims) for his foundation for education in Zimbabwe
Just Fontaine Trophy in L1: Elye Wahi (Montpellier) against Lyon on October
22 Just Fontaine Trophy in L2: Mathieu Cafaro (Saint-Etienne) against Annecy, February 4
