Trophées UNFP du football
With the Trophées UNFP du football , the most outstanding players, goalkeepers, coaches and goals of a Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 season are honored annually in France. The winners of the awards are chosen by the members of the French professional football union Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels . All French players and foreign players who are under contract with a Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 club are eligible candidates . The award has been made since 1988 until 1994 under the name "Oscar de l'UNFP du football". Luis Fernández was the first coach to receive the award in 1994. The first excellent player in Ligue 2 was Jocelyn Gourvennec . In 2002 a goalkeeper was honored with an extra award for the first time. The title holder at the time was Ulrich Ramé . In the same year Antoine Sibierski received an award for the most beautiful goal in Ligue 1. Since 2003, a team of the year has also been chosen. This is a selection of the best players from all teams in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Since 2001, the best player in Division 1 Féminine has also been recognized .
Ligue 1
Player of the year
This award was first awarded in 1994 after the 1993/94 season. The first to be honored was the Frenchman David Ginola . Only French nationals received the title for the first three years. For the 1996/97 season, the Brazilian Sonny Anderson was the first foreigner to be honored with the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. The Portuguese Pauleta was the first outfield player to receive the award twice in 2002 and 2003.
Young Player of the Year
Since the 1993/94 season, the best young player in Ligue 1 has received an award. The first prize winner was Zinédine Zidane . Until 2008/09 the award was only given to French talents. The first excellent foreigner was then the Belgian Eden Hazard . He is also the first player to defend this title.
Goalkeeper of the Year
From 2002 the UNFP decided to award the best goalkeeper of the season. The first title holder was Ulrich Ramé , who then played for Girondins Bordeaux . He was replaced in the following season by Grégory Coupet , who was finally able to defend the title three times in a row and is the most successful goalkeeper with a total of four awards. The first foreign title holder was the Italian Salvatore Sirigu in 2013.
Coach of the year
Claude Puel and René Girard received the award twice, Laurent Blanc three times.
Ligue 2
Player of the year
As in Ligue 1, Ligue 2 has also been named Player of the Year since 1994. The first title holder was the former French midfielder Jocelyn Gourvennec , who then played for Stade Rennes . It was not until the end of the 1998/99 season before the Algerian Abdelkader Ferhaoui was the first foreigner to receive the award. No player has been able to defend the title since the award was introduced in 1994.
Goalkeeper of the Year
Between the first award, 2002, and 2008, only French goalkeepers received the honor of goalkeeper of Ligue 2. It was only in 2009 that this streak was broken by the Croatian Vedran Runje .
