The Bayern reaction to The Best FIFA Football Awards

Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer have won major accolades at The Best FIFA Football Awards. FC Bayern is proud to congratulate its striker Robert Lewandowski on his title as The Best FIFA Men's Player. On Thursday evening, the 32-year-old Pole, who has been playing for the German record champions since 2014, was named the world’s best footballer in a live broadcast following a vote organised by world governing body FIFA. Alongside him, Manuel Neuer was the second major Munich award winner of the evening as The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper. Hansi Flick came a close second as The Best FIFA Men's Coach behind Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool FC). In addition, Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies and Thiago, who played for FC Bayern until the start of this season, were named in the FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11 for the year. Lewandowski, who scored 55 competitive goals for Bayern last season, is the first ever player from the Bundesliga to be awarded the title of world’s best footballer. The captains and coaches of all national teams as well as fans and media representatives from all over the world cast their votes in the award.

CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “It’s hard for me to put into words today how proud and happy we are. FC Bayern has never in its history supplied the World Footballer of the Year, and Robert Lewandowski has more than earned this honour. I think it's a great gesture that FIFA President Gianni Infantino came all the way to Munich to award Robert Lewandowski the title. This is a reward for the fact that Robert has given everything day after day over many years to achieve his great goals. We are proud to have made history with him. Manuel Neuer also absolutely deserves the title of World’s Best Goalkeeper. Manuel has raised the goalkeeping game to a completely new level, for me he is the best goalkeeper in football history. Of course, we also congratulate Jürgen Klopp on being voted World’s Best Coach, but Hansi Flick has won five titles in 2020 and plays football to fall in love with. We know he is a great coach. I understand the decision was incredibly close, and without doubt Hansi would’ve deserved the title. The great overall result is rounded off by the fact that Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies, as well as our long-time player Thiago, were also voted into the World XI. We congratulate all the award winners and thank them for this great honour."

President Herbert Hainer: "Today is a proud day for FC Bayern. On behalf of the entire club, I would like to warmly congratulate Robert Lewandowski on this award. He has set standards worldwide as a striker, because he shines not only with his many goals, but with his entire manner on the pitch. Robert Lewandowski is the complete striker, a true leader and an exceptional figurehead for our club. For Manuel Neuer, too, we are immensely happy about his award as World’s Best Goalkeeper; he has proven for many years that he is the number 1 in the world. No matter which striker runs at him, with Neuer in goal, it takes a lot to get the ball over the line. In my eyes, Hansi Flick would also have been a worthy World’s Best Coach, but congratulations to Jürgen Klopp. The fact that Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies and our former player Thiago were chosen for the World XI shows the terrific overall performance of our team."  

Board member for sport Hasan Salihamidzic: "This is a wonderful result that makes FC Bayern proud and happy. With Robert Lewandowski, I say kudos. He more than deserves it and is simply the best player at the moment. I think not only all of us at FC Bayern are very happy that Robert has finally captured this summit, but also very many friends of football around the world. Robert is a model professional, he has developed into a world-class striker and team player at FC Bayern. He enjoys the greatest respect, and continues to be hungry for goals. He already sees the next summit, the next challenge, always wants to win titles and set records. That's one of the reasons he joined FC Bayern six years ago. It's hard to imagine Munich without Robert. Manuel Neuer is also a great champion, for me the best goalkeeper of all time, who has raised goalkeeping to a new level - and as a Bayern player I already had the best goalkeeper of my time behind me in Oliver Kahn. Manuel's value to the team is so great and so hard to grasp on some days. Especially on days when everything is at stake and Manuel stands calmly and impregnably in our goal. We are happy that he’ll still be playing with us for a long time. With four of our players being selected for the World XI, it shows the status we have earned by winning the Champions League and also by the way we played in the finals tournament in Lisbon. I'm happy for each of our boys: for Lewy, Jo, Phonzie and also for Thiago, who is now playing at Liverpool. For me, their selection is representative of our whole treble team, which is so exceptional in sporting and human terms. We can shape an era with this team. It is a great pity that Hansi Flick didn’t win in his category. He would have deserved it too."