This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
On Friday, the 2018/19 UEFA Player of the Year award was presented at the Europa League draw ceremony in Monaco. The winner was Eden Hazard, a Real Madrid player and former Chelsea star.
However, the news did not sit well with Chelsea fans, who felt that Olivier Giroud was more deserving of the award. Giroud had a remarkable performance in the tournament, scoring 11 goals and providing 5 assists.
According to Twitter users, many fans were surprised by the decision and felt that Hazard's contribution to the team was not as significant as Giroud's. One fan even questioned the credibility of the UEFA award, suggesting that it had become a popularity contest.
"You just know these awards are just popularity contests and Perez pays for everything. No wonder Modric won the Ballon D'or," tweeted Ali.