Gavi, during a match with Barça. /
Award
The Barça midfielder adds the award to the Kopa Trophy that he won on Monday
Gavi Paez does not stop accumulating recognition and congratulations from the world of football. The young Barça midfielder is the new Golden Boy, a prize awarded by the magazine ‘Tuttosport’ to the best European under-21 player last season and in whose record he succeeds his teammate Pedri, distinguished the previous year.
At 18, the footballer born in Los Palacios and Villafranca, is confirmed as one of the great emerging talents of the Old Continent after winning the votes for budding stars of the caliber of Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala, all of whom they had made more than enough merits to assault the throne of the Golden Boy but that they have finally had to surrender to the meteoric emergence of Gavi, who has gone from being a promise of La Masia to becoming a fundamental figure within the schemes of Xavi Hernández in Barça and Luis Enrique in the Spanish team.
During the past season, Gavi played 47 games with the Barça first team, scoring two goals and dishing out five assists. To this we must add his amazing appearance in the Spanish team, with which he debuted in the Final Four of the League of Nations played last October in Italy. That was his letter of introduction on a big stage and the Andalusian dazzled with his poise and self-confidence. His impact reached such an extent that Luis Enrique has made him a fixture in his calls and he has a guaranteed seat for the World Cup in Qatar, where he is emerging as a starter in a medullary team that Busquets and Pedri would complete.
It should be remembered that Gavi’s outstanding performances with Barça and the Spanish team already earned him the prestigious Kopa Trophy on Monday, which is awarded by the magazine ‘France Football’ to the best player under 21 years of age and which the Sevillian collected during the Ballon d’Or gala.
Real Madrid, best club
Aside from the award won by Gavi, the twentieth edition of the Golden Boy also rewards the work of Madrid fans Florentino Pérez, distinguished as ‘Golden President’; Karim Benzema, chosen as ‘Golden Player’ and Carlo Ancelotti, named ‘Golden Trainer’. In addition, Real Madrid has been selected as the best club in the world. Similarly, Alexia Putellas is awarded the ‘Golden Player Woman’ and Paolo Maldini is chosen as best sports director. The awards will be presented at a ceremony that will take place on November 7 in Turin.
