Robert Lewandowski named Germany's Footballer of the Year for 2020; Hansi Flick succeeds Jürgen Klopp as Best Coach
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski has been named Germany's Footballer of the Year for 2020, with Hansi Flick succeeding Jürgen Klopp as Best Coach.
Lewandowski scored 55 goals in 47 competitive appearances for Bayern in 2019/20, becoming the first player to win a continental treble of Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League, whilst top scoring in each competition.
The 32-year-old striker garnered 272 of the 525 votes cast by members of the Association of German Sports Journalists, in conjunction with sports publication, kicker, to claim the prize for the first time.
Bayern's Thomas Müller and Joshua Kimmich finished second and third in the final poll.
Watch: All of Robert Lewandowski's 34 Bundesliga goals in 2019/20
Marco Reus, Germany's Footballer of the Year in 2012 and 2019, says his former Borussia Dortmund teammate is a worthy winner.
"Lewandowski was undoubtedly the best striker in the world this past season," he told kicker. "Who knows how hard he's worked to become the best he can be?
"I can only tip my hat to him - he fully deserves this award."
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While Lewandowski earns the plaudits for banging in the goals, Flick was the brains behind Bayern's brilliant campaign.
The 55-year-old - whose only previous head coaching position was at Hoffenheim between 2000 and 2005 - took maximum points in 33 of his 36 matches after replacing Niko Kovac in November 2019 as the record champions ended the campaign on a quite remarkable 30-match unbeaten run, winning 21 in a row.
Previous winners include fellow treble mastermind Jupp Heynckes (2013 and 2018), and current Liverpool coach Klopp (2011, 2012 and 2019).
Watch: Bayern's 2019/20 Bundesliga title-winning journey under Hansi Flick
The Footballer of the Year gong has been awarded in Germany since 1960. All players based in Germany and Germany-born players abroad are eligible for the prize.
Lewandowski is the sixth non-German winner after Ailton (Werder Bremen/ Brazil, 2002), Franck Ribery (Bayern/ France, 2002), Grafite (Wolfsburg/ Brazil, 2009), Arjen Robben (Bayern/ The Netherlands, 2010) and Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg/ Belgium, 2015). Franz Beckenbauer is the record winner (four titles).
The coaching equivalent has been running since 2002.
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