Alexia Putellas had been named the 2021/22 Uefa Women’s Player of the Year, scooping the award for a second successive season.
The Barcelona midfielder becomes the first player in the history of the women’s awards to win the accolade two years on the bounce.
Arsenal and England winger Beth Mead and Germany and Wolfsburg midfielder Lena Oberdorf were also nominated.
Putellas completed the most prolific season of her career during the 2021/22 campaign, netting 34 goals as Barcelona enjoyed another year of domestic dominance.
The 28-year-old was given the Barcelona captain’s armband ahead of the 2021/22 campaign following the departure of Vicky Losada, and led her side to a domestic double. Barcelona won 30 matches from 30 to lift the Primera Division title for a third season on the bounce, and also stormed to Copa de la Reina glory with a 6-1 victory over Sporting Huelva in the final, with Putellas netting a brace.
Putellas finished as the top goal scorer in the Champions League, finding the net on 11 occasions, and although her side reached the final, they were beaten 3-1 by Lyon, Putellas netting what would ultimately only be a consolation.
The midfielder missed on a place at Euro 2022 after heartbreakingly rupturing her ACL on the eve of the tournament, and she will likely miss the majority of the 2022/23 season.
Not only is Putellas the first woman to be named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year two years on the bounce, she is just the second player in the history of the women’s awards – alongside Pernille Harder – to scoop the accolade for a second time.
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