Franck Ribery has pipped both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award on Thursday.
The Frenchman had been shortlisted alongside the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars for UEFA’s annual award, recognising the best footballer from the previous season.
Ribery, who helped Bayern Munich to the Champions League title last season, as well as League and Cup success domestically, was today voted ahead of Messi and Ronaldo in a live vote by 53 selected journalists attending the UEFA Gala in Monaco.
Last year’s edition was won by Andres Iniesta.