UEFA President's Award

Summary

The UEFA President's Award recognises outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities. The accolade, first introduced by UEFA in 1998, is usually awarded annually to a football personality who is deemed to have advanced the game's development and success.[1][2] Recently, Eric Cantona has become infamous for his bizarre acceptance speech for the 2019 UEFA Presidents Award. Dressed in a flat cap, he began by quoting William Shakespeare's King Lear – "As flies to wanton boys we are for the gods" – before referencing science, war and crime.[3]

Winners edit

Year Winner Ref.
1998   Jacques Delors [4]
1999 Not Awarded
2000   Guy Roux
2001   Juan Santisteban
2002   Bobby Robson
2003   Paolo Maldini
2004   Ernie Walker
2005   Frank Rijkaard
2006   Wilfried Straub
2007   Alfredo Di Stéfano
2008   Bobby Charlton
2009   Eusébio
2010   Raymond Kopa
2011   Gianni Rivera
2012   Franz Beckenbauer
2013   Johan Cruyff
2014   Josef Masopust
2015 Not Awarded
2016 Not Awarded
2017   Francesco Totti [5]
2018   David Beckham [6]
2019   Eric Cantona [7]
2020   Didier Drogba [8]
2021   Mogens Kreutzfeldt
  Frederik Flensted
  Anders Boesen
  Peder Ersgaard
  Jens Kleinefeld
  Valentin Velikov
  Morten Skjoldager
  Morten Boesen
  Simon Kjær
[9]
2022   Arrigo Sacchi [10]
2023   Miroslav Klose [11]

References edit

  1. ^ "UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  2. ^ "David Beckham: Uefa to honour former England captain with President's Award". UEFA.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi & Eric Cantona light up Uefa awards". BBC Sport. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  4. ^ "UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Francesco Totti to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  6. ^ "David Beckham to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Eric Cantona to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Didier Drogba to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Copenhagen heroes to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Arrigo Sacchi to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Miroslav Klose to receive UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.

External links edit

  • UEFA Presidential Award at UEFA.org