- Title: SOCCER-AWARD/MESSI Messi heaps praise on team-mates after winning UEFA award
- Date: 27th August 2015
- Summary: MONTE CARLO, MONACO (AUGUST 27, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CRISTIANO RONALDO LUIS SUAREZ
- Embargoed: 11th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Monaco
- Country: Monaco
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAC95L1E4P6HFWTT70L85G4C1WN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lionel Messi's role in Barcelona's treble-winning 2014/15 campaign has been acknowledged with the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award - the second time the forward has been honoured in the accolade's five-year history.
The Argentina international accepted the trophy from UEFA President Michel Platini at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Messi, recipient of the inaugural prize in 2011, finished ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and club-mate Luis Suarez in a live poll of 54 journalists who selected, via an electronic system, their favourite from the three-man shortlist announced on 12 August.
"To start this new season with an award like this is very nice," he said on Thursday (August 27). "We had a very successful season where we managed to achieve everything with the club; and with the national team we were also close to winning the Copa America. So I am very happy about all this.
"Well, what we all achieved, as I said, is all thanks to this great team. When you manage to achieve your objectives with the group, then your personal objectives can also be achieved. And I think that everything the team did over the whole of last season is the reason myself and Luis are here today. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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