This Monday, the Las Ventas Bullring in Madrid hosted the gala of the 3rd edition of the AFE Awards, which recognized the best footballers of the 2023-24 season, chosen by their own teammates by voting.
During the gala, presented by journalists Lourdes García Campos (RTVE) and Miguel Quintana (Radio Marca and DAZN), Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was awarded best footballer in LaLiga EA Sports, while Barça’s Caroline Graham Hansen was awarded in La Liga. F. Gerard Peque (Racing de Santander) and Henar Muiña (Dépor Abanca) were chosen as the best in the second male and female categories.
“I am grateful for this award and I feel proud to receive it. I take this opportunity to thank my teammates. I hope to continue enjoying football in Spain,” stressed the FC Barcelona footballer. “Many thanks to all the footballers who voted me as the best player of last season. I am very proud,” said the English midfielder of Real Madrid.
In addition, as happened in the second edition, awards were given to the top scorers (Quini Award and Natalia Pablos Award) and goalkeepers with the fewest goals (Arkonada Award and Carmen Arce ‘Kubalita’ Award) in the categories classified as non Spanish football professionals.
In addition, four special distinctions were awarded. Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal received the AFE Values Award; badminton player Carolina Marín, the Manolo Esteo Award; the Spanish soccer team and former soccer player Raúl García, the Sports Career Award; and the Reina Sofía Foundation, the AFE Foundation Award.
“I feel very proud to receive the AFE Values Award because I always try to transmit values and contribute my grain of sand at all times,” said Dani Carvajal. “Since I was injured, I am clear that I want to retire on a track. I am a fighter and I am not going to give up. I recommend to all athletes that they enjoy and have fun with sport, since sport is life” said Carolina Marín, who received the award from Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE).
The president of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), David Aganzo, who conveyed his “love” to those affected by DANA, stressed that with this gala they give “visibility to the figure of the footballer.” “Thanks to them, we are a united association. And I take this opportunity to emphasize that the institutions must work together, without unilateral decisions, because in this way everything can be achieved, improving football in all our categories,” he noted.
In addition to Alejandro Blanco, the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, was present at the event; the general secretary of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Álvaro de Miguel; the general director of Sports of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), Fernando Molinero; the president of Sevilla FC, José María Del Nido Carrasco; the Director of Football of Real Madrid, Santiago Solari; the head of Institutional Relations of Leganés, Martín Mantovani; the vice president of RC Deportivo, Michelle Clemente; Athletic’s general director of Football, Mikel González. The former presidents of AFE Juan José Iriarte and Gerardo González Movilla were not missing.
Also attending were figures such as Iker Casillas, Luis Miguel Arconada, Vicente del Bosque, Ángel María Villar, Ana María Catalá, Javier Clemente, Leticia Méndez, Vanessa Gimbert, Rafa Martín Vázquez, Andoni Goikoetxea, Aintzane Encinas, José Luis Sánchez Barrios, Carmen Arce’ Kubalita’, Julio Alberto Moreno, Quique Estebaranz, Pedro Luis Jaro, Onísimo Sánchez, Miguel Reina and Óscar Trejo.
Present on behalf of AFE were Diego Rivas, general secretary; the members José Antonio Camacho, Juanma Marrero and Javi López; Fernando Zambrano, head of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the delegates of the association.
