Six Bayern players receive Players’ Union awards

Bayern dominated the 2024/25 Team of the Season from the German Players’ Union (VDV) back in May, with six current FCB players finally getting their hands on their trophies from VDV managing director Ulf Baranowsky on Monday.

The annual vote is open to all players in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2, 3. Liga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga, as well as all other VDV members. They named Dayot Upamecano (28.3%), Joshua Kimmich (69.1%), Jamal Musiala (59.7%), Harry Kane (77.5%) and Michael Olise (43.5%) in the Team of the Season, plus summer signing Jonathan Tah (54.5%) from his Bayer Leverkusen days. The team was completed by Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen, 28.3%), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz, 36.1%), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, 84.8%), Finn Dahmen (Augsburg, 28.3%) and Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund, 45.0%).

Outstanding finishes for Kane, Kompany

In the union’s vote for Player of the Season, Kane (20%) and Olise (17%) both made it onto the podium but were beaten by 2023/24 winner Wirtz (29.1%). Olise (13.8%) and summer signing Tom Bischof (9%) were also pipped to the Newcomer of the Year award by Nick Woltemade (37.1%). Vincent Kompany (22.2%) came second in the coaching award in his first season behind Mainz’s Bo Henriksen (25.7%).

What is the VDV?

The German Players’ Union represents the interests of professional footballers working in Germany. It supports its more than 1,400 members with professional services in areas such as labour law, medicine, sports psychology and media training. The VDV was founded in 1987 by players.

Bayern were in DFB Cup action at Köln on Wednesday: