A new UEFA Champions League winner was crowned last Saturday, with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) securing their first-ever title in a historic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan.

As is customary at the end of every UCL season, the competition’s organiser, UEFA, led by its Technical Observatory Team, released its team of the season.

And well, let’s just say, UEFA's Team of the Season (TOTS) and individual awards have sparked discussions regarding player selections and omissions.

🏆 UEFA Team of the Season (Complete XI) - Argument For & Against:

Goalkeeper (GK):

🏅Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG):

Donnarumma kept the goal for PSG in all their Champions League games, including the final, which, in honesty, was a holiday for the Italian. Donnarumma kept 6 clean sheets in 15 games, conceding 14 goals.

🛡️ Defenders:

🏅Achraf Hakimi (PSG):

Hakimi's dynamic presence on the right flank was vital for PSG, contributing both defensively and offensively.

He scored in the quarterfinals and the opening goal in the final while consistently providing width and pace throughout the tournament for the French side.

In addition, he won the most possessions (110) and provided 5 assists, taking his total goal contributions to 9.

🏅Marquinhos (PSG):

As PSG's captain, Marquinhos led by example, organising the defence and contributing to the team's seven (7) clean sheets during the campaign while making the most clearances in the competition (92).

🏅Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan):

Bastoni was a key figure in Inter's journey to the final, showcasing composure and strong defensive skills. Despite the heavy loss in the final, his performances throughout the tournament, especially the semi-finals against Barca, earned him a spot in the TOTS.

🏅Nuno Mendes (PSG):

Mendes provided balance on the left side of PSG's defence, combining defensive solidity with attacking support, contributing to the team's overall success.

The man with the most possession won (119) was most notable for keeping an in-form Mo Salah quiet for 2 legs.

⚙️ Midfielders:

🏅Declan Rice (Arsenal):

Rice's commanding presence in midfield was pivotal for Arsenal's deep run in the competition. His ability to break up play and help out the attack stood out, even as Arsenal fell short in the semi-finals. Then of course, there are those two free-kick goals, you know which ones.

🏅Vitinha (PSG):

As the controller and orchestrator of the PSG team deep from midfield, the Portuguese midfielder caught the attention of the world in many of the French team’s games, including the final.

His 1,294 passes completed (the most in the competition) is not fluke as he took the role of a puppet master pulling the strings of his teammates and opponents too.

🎯 Forwards:

🏅Ousmane Dembélé (PSG):

Dembélé was a constant threat on the wing, contributing eight (8) goals and six (6) assists in 15 matches. His pace and dribbling were instrumental in breaking down defences as he created the most chances (38).

🏅Lamine Yamal (Barcelona):

At only 17, Yamal was a very constant threat and a player Barca players looked to in the biggest games to do something special like maybe dribble his way into space to make or score a goal.

That this young lad completed the most dribbles in the UCL season (109), is very impressive.

🏅Doue (PSG): 

Aged only 19 at the time, PSG’s versatile winger, Doue, is another young lad who announced his arrival to the world on the biggest stage possible with his performances, especially the one in the final (2G 1 A).

❌ Notable Absences:

🏆Yan Sommer (Inter):

While he was on the losing side in the final, Sommer delivered several standout performances even in games he conceded 3 because without his saves, Inter could have conceded more and yes, I am talking about the semi-final tie against Barca.

Add that to the fact that he kept the most clean sheets (7), made the most saves (54, just one more than Courtois), and had the 3rd best save percentage in the competition, and you wonder what Donnarumma is doing in the post of the TOTS.

🏆Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund):

Guirassy was the joint top scorer in the tournament with 13 goals, yet did not make the TOTS, raising questions about the selection criteria if a Doue with  5 and a Dembele with 8 in many more games are included.

Pedri (Barcelona):

Barcelona fans especially and many others could not believe Declan Rice got the nod over Pedri in midfield in the TOTS line-up. Pedri came up 5th in both tackles made (37) and possession won (80) while being one of the controllers in Barca’s midfield alongside De Jong.

🥇 Individual Awards:

🏆UCL Player of the Season: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

Dembélé's electrifying performances were central to PSG's success. His ability to change games with his dribbling and finishing made him a force to reckon with, especially his game winners against Arsenal and Liverpool in the semi-finals and Round 16 stages, respectively.

🏆People’s Winner: Raphina

While Dembele’s heroics in the two knock-out games were pivotal, many, however, are of the view that the French winger, who filled the false 9 role occasionally, did not deserve to be named best player over Barcelona’s Raphina.

Why? Well, their agreement is, aside from chances created (not from open play only), Dembele was not the best at anything else. Not goals, not assists, not dribbles, nothing except, well, according to UEFA, runs into the penalty area.

Raphina, on the other hand, who with fewer games played than Dembele, equalled CR7's record of most goals plus assists (21) in a single UCL season.

🏆UCL Best Young Player of the Season: Désiré Doué (PSG)

Doué's emergence as a key player for PSG was one of the season's highlights. His two goals and an assist in the final capped off a remarkable campaign, making him the youngest player to score a brace in a Champions League final.

🏆People’s Winner: Yamal

The people’s argument is this. Lamine, in fewer games, has the same number of goals and assists as Doue has (9), and as a tie breaker, has also completed the most dribbles in the UCL, so if anybody deserves to be named best young player, it should be the Barca lad.

📊 Conclusion:

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season showcased a blend of experienced stars and emerging talents. While the TOTS highlighted many deserving players, the omission of key performers like Sommer and Guirassy sparked debates among fans and analysts just as the POTS and YPOTS did.

As an able viewer of the UCL yourself, let us know what you think.

You can check out the games of these players in their national teams here on MSport.

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