Club

Plea, your Aiglon of the Year

Your Aiglon of the Year is Alassane Plea. Strong and consistent, the forward was never headed in the polls, finishing with a majority 54% of the votes. He came home ahead of Mario Balotelli (34%) and Allan Saint-Maximin (8%). 

An individual award in a team sport can be interpreted several ways. As the curtain readies to come down on the current campaign, he emerged a clear winner. Day by day, step by step, Alassane Plea (25 years old) built his return to the limelight with pure determination and completes the best season of his career to date. So much so that his was a landslide victory… On Monday, he received his trophy at Crédit Agricole headquarters, sponsors of the award. 

Free of injury and with a positive mentality, playing through the middle or on the left, throughout France and the continent, he contested every battle without ever taking a backward step, without ever looking for somewhere to hide and always giving it everything. The most-used player in Ligue 1 by coach Lucien Favre (3,041 minutes ahead of Week 38), a tireless worker, Alassane began by shining in Europe, before making the difference in the second half of the domestic league. On the eve of the last game of the campaign, he has already scored 19 goals in all competitions, as well as providing six assists. He incarnates perfectly the values of the club he joined in 2014.

“I am following previous winners Mika Seri and Hatem Ben Arfa. It’s great because they are two fantastic players,” declared the striker. “I am very proud, but also very happy to receive this trophy because it comes straight from the supporters. I would like to thank them for their support throughout the season, even when things were tough. We are lucky to have them. And thank you for voting for me!”

You installed Mario Balotelli on the second step of the MVP podium. So much can be said and written about the giant Italian, but it would still come up short. A natural talent, he often swept opponents aside with sheer ferocity. With 26 goals scored in 37 matches in all competitions, he registered the most prolific season of his illustrious career.

Finally, you have recognised the excellent first season of Allan Saint-Maximin in Rouge et Noir. Third in this ranking behind his two comperes in attack, the winger is also your Young Player of the Year. (see related article).

MY HIGHLIGHT

Alassane Plea: “It’s hard to pick just one… so I will choose three! The first was our 4-0 home win over Monaco on 9 September. Then there was our run in the Europa League where we made it to the round of 32, even if we would have liked to go further. And finally, on a personal level, I have to say my four goals against Guingamp (5-2, 11 March), because that was an incredible moment in my career. But the season isn’t over yet. I hope we will be able to talk about another highlight this Saturday against Lyon…”