[골닷컴] Reporter Kang Dong-hoon = ‘Monster’ defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) was selected as the 2023 Korean Football Association Male Player of the Year. He narrowly beat Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), the most recipient of the award ever (7 times), to receive the honor. This is the first time Minjae Kim has won this award.
On the afternoon of the 2nd, the Korea Football Association held the ‘2023 Korea Football Association Awards’ at the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, with about 200 people including soccer industry officials and national soccer team players in attendance, and announced a new value system that suggests the direction of Korean soccer. Awards were given in major categories, including Player of the Year.
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Player of the Year is an award given to the Korean male and female soccer players who have shown the most outstanding performance for the national soccer team and their respective teams during the year. Since 2010, the Korea Football Association has been selecting experts and soccer reporters.
The men’s player of the year was selected by a vote of 50 people, including the soccer team leader of the media affiliated with the Korea Football Association, the association’s technology development committee member, and the soccer team’s strength enhancement committee member. Kim Min-jae was pushed out by Son Heung-min in 2nd place in a row in 2021 and 2022, but this time he finally rose to 1st place.
Kim Min-jae played a key role in winning the Italian Serie A while playing for Naples in the first half of 2023. Afterwards, he moved to Bayern Munich, the world’s most prestigious team, and boasts an ‘iron-walled defense’. He also had his best year with the national soccer team, playing in 8 A matches this year and leading the team without conceding a goal in 6 consecutive games.
Kim Min-jae received a total of 137 points in voting. Son Heung-min, who has won the Player of the Year award for the past four years and is the winner of the most awards ever, took second place with 113 points. Third place was Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) with 84 points. It has been eight years since Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan HD) in 2015 that a defender was selected as Player of the Year.
The women’s player of the year was decided by votes from WK League coaches, women’s national team coaching staff, and full-time women’s coaches of the Korea Football Association. After a close match, Garam Cheon (Hwacheon KSPO) became the protagonist with a total score of 20 points, beating Ji So-yeon (Suwon FC), the most winner of all time (7 times), by 1 point.
Garam Cheon, who mainly plays as a side midfielder, emerged as a new ace by playing in the 2023 Australia-New Zealand Women’s World Cup and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, scoring 4 goals in 12 A matches. She also played a key role in helping her team, Hwacheon KSPO, reach second place in the WK League, their highest ever finish.
The Korea Football Association also confirmed winners in the 2023 young player and leader categories. The Young Player Award went to Hwang Jae-won (Daegu FC) and Casey Eugene Fair (Independent), while the Leader of the Year Award went to FC Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong and Incheon Hyundai Steel coach Kim Eun-sook.
◆ List of major winners of the 2023 Korea Football Association Awards
▲ Player of the Year: Minjae Kim (Bayern Munich), Garam Cheon (Hwacheon KSPO)
▲ Young Player of the Year: Jaewon Hwang (Daegu FC), Casey Eugene Fair (Independent)
▲ Leader of the Year: Kim Ki-dong (FC Seoul), Kim Eun-sook (Incheon Hyundai Steel)
▲ Referee of the Year: Ko Hyeong-jin (male referee), Oh Hyeon-jeong (female referee), Park Sang-jun (male assistant referee), Kim Gyeong-min (female assistant referee)
▲ KFA 90th Anniversary Special Contribution Award: Nike / Daegu FC CEO Cho Gwang-rae / late coach Park Jong-hwan
2024-01-02 16:00:00
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