Robert Lewandowski came second behind Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi at the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The FC Bayern man also received the new Striker of the Year award at the event in Paris. Jamal Musiala came third in the Kopa Trophy for the best U21 player, while Manuel Neuer was fifth in the Yashin Trophy for the world's best goalkeeper. fcbayern.com has the reaction from senior figures in the club:
Reaction to the Ballon d'Or
President Herbert Hainer: "FC Bayern München congratulates Lionel Messi on winning the Ballon d'Or. However, we are once again proud of Robert Lewandowski, because he deserved to become the fourth player in our rich club history to have won this award, after Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Robert absolutely ranks as one of FC Bayern and world football’s greatest players. That he has been awarded Striker of the Year is well deserved after his many goals over the past two years."
CEO Oliver Kahn: "Congratulations to Lionel Messi. But Robert Lewandowski would have also been just as deserving of the Ballon d'Or alongside his Striker of the Year honour because he has been absolutely outstanding every day for years. Even without the Ballon d'Or, Lewandowski has long since arrived in the pantheon of the greatest ever in world football. I’m already excited to see what other records he will set with our club in the future. He will be a candidate again next year."
Board member for sport Hasan Salihamidžić: "Congratulations to Lionel Messi on winning the Ballon d'Or. But we at FC Bayern would have also wished from the bottom of our hearts for Robert Lewandowski to win this award. We are proud to have such an exceptional player in our ranks, who was quite rightly named Striker of the Year. He is a model professional and will never let up. Robert always sets himself new targets - that's why he is one of the best players in the world. We are especially happy that Jamal Musiala has finished in the top three of the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best U21 players. He will give us all a lot of joy in the future and is far from the finished product yet."
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