UEFA Announces Award Winners in Monaco
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Media Release Date: 28/08/2003 Communiqué aux médias No. 106 Medien-Mitteilung UEFA announces award winners in Monaco Gianluigi Buffon becomes first goalkeeper to win Most Valuable Player award UEFA presented its five annual awards, based on performances during the 2002/03 UEFA club competition campaigns, during the annual Football Gala held at the Sporting Club in Monaco this evening. Gianluigi Buffon emerged as the star of the evening. After accepting the Best Goalkeeper award from George Best, the Juventus keeper was later called back on stage to receive the evening’s top prize from Prince Albert of Monaco and became the first goalkeeper ever to be named Most Valuable Player. Minutes earlier, Paolo Maldini had received the UEFA President’s Award from Lennart Johansson in recognition of a long career at the highest level for club and country and loyalty to the club he joined as a boy, AC Milan. The full list of winners at the UEFA Football Gala is: Best Goalkeeper (presented by George Best) Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) Best Defender (presented by Roberto Bettega) Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid CF) Best Midfielder (presented by Didier Deschamps) Pavel Nedved (Juventus) Best Forward (presented by Sir Bobby Charlton) Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United FC) Most Valuable Player (presented by Prince Albert) Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) During the UEFA Football Gala, Roy Makaay received Europe’s Golden Shoe from Eusébio; the champion coach in the UEFA Cup, José Mourinho of FC Porto, received a trophy from Vicente Del Bosque; the winning coach in the UEFA Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti of AC Milan, was presented a trophy by Ruud Gullit; the UEFA Charity Cheque for one million Swiss francs to be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation was handed by Gerhard Aigner to the referee of the Manchester final, Markus Merk; and Aron Winter received a Special Award from UEFA’s president Lennart Johansson as a tribute not only to his distinguished career in the game but also his stance against racism. For further information: UEFA Media Services: ++41-22 99 44 55 9 .