Manuel Neuer was named best goalkeeper of the World Cup as well.
Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been elected German Footballer of the Year for the second time and World Cup-winning Joachim Loew topped the coaching poll, Kicker sports magazine said Sunday.
Neuer amassed 144 from 701 votes to edge out Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus (135), with Thomas Mueller of Munich third on 105 votes from the German sports media in the annual poll conducted by Kicker. Neuer, who first won the award in 2011 while at Schalke, got a Bundesliga and cup double with Munich in the past season, and was among six Bayern players who won the World Cup last month in Brazil.
He is the 2013 world keeper of the year and was named best goalkeeper of the World Cup as well. The top nine in the poll were made up entirely of Munich and Dortmund players, with Lazio’s Miroslav Klose, the new all-time World Cup top scorer, 10th. “This election is an honour for me,” Neuer said on the Kicker website.
“But I am surprised as well. I didn’t expect it although I know that I performed well ... It is an honour for life because I was elected in this year 2014 in which we became world champions.”
Loew, who guided Germany to a first World Cup title since 1990, led the coaches’ list with 248 votes from Augsburg’s Markus Weinzierl (152) and Munich’s Pep Guardiola (89).
Loew is the second national team coach to win the award, following Juergen Klinsmann (2006). “This is a huge honour for me and a very special moment in my long coaching career,” Loew said. “The World Cup win is a joint effort, so I accept the honour on behalf of everyone. Every member of our team is a part of the coach of the year award.”
Alexandra Popp won the women’s poll with 97 points ahead of three team-mates from German league and Champions League winners Wolfsburg.