Alaba received a total of 58 points in the election, clearly relegating Bologna legionnaire Marko Arnautovic to second place with 16 points. Third place was shared by RB Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer and Feyenoord defender Gernot Trauner, who each received seven points. With his ninth title, Alaba extended his record. Ivica Vastic with four awards and Herbert Prohaska with three follow in the places.
“It makes me very happy and is very important to me personally. It’s a great honor that makes me proud and also grateful because it’s a huge honor for me. I am aware that it was a special year for me and it makes me happy that the hard work is also recognized at home,” Alaba was quoted as saying in a first statement. Eleven times out of twelve, the ÖFB team captain was put in first place by the coaches, only Austria Lustenaus Markus Mader voted for rapid professional Guido Burgstaller.
The 30-year-old lifted the Champions League trophy in his first year with Real Madrid this year by beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Stade de France, thus winning the world’s most coveted club title for the third time. In addition, Alaba was also crowned European Supercup winner and Spanish champion and Supercup champion with the “Royal” in 2022 – and that as an undisputed regular player. Alaba has already won 31 titles in his career so far, the next chance for trophies is in the Spanish Supercup in January and at the Club World Cup in February.
Mixed international game year
However, Alaba’s year with the national team did not go as planned. In March, a 2-1 draw against Wales in the play-off semifinals meant they lost their chance of qualifying for the World Cup. The team boss changed from Franco Foda to Ralf Rangnick. After that, despite phased successful appearances in a Nations League group with France, Croatia and Denmark, you were last and got down from the highest class. And that despite a 3-0 win at World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and a 1-1 draw against runners-up France.
At the end there was at least a 2-0 win in the test match in Vienna’s Happel Stadium against the reigning European champions Italy. Alaba sank a free kick for his 15th goal in his 98th ÖFB appearance. Only Arnautovic (106), Andreas Herzog (103) and Aleksandar Dragovic (100) have currently completed more international matches than the old and new footballer of the year, who was also named Austria’s sportsman 2022 in October.
Down-to-earth role model
Team manager Rangnick was also one of the first to congratulate. “David Alaba is the highly deserved footballer of the year 2022. He was a regular and top performer at Bayern Munich for many years, won the Champions League and has now done the same again at Real Madrid. That says everything about his footballing qualities,” said the 64-year-old German. Above all, the “down-to-earth character” is an important characteristic of Alaba. He said he “remained the same person” and “kept down to earth. He comes to the national team and wants to win every little training exercise.”
The winning mentality of the Real central defender also has a contagious effect on all other players. “He’s a real leader and the logical captain of the national team,” said Rangnick. ÖFB sports director Peter Schöttel said something similar: “David Alaba is a world-class footballer. He is a leader, both at Real Madrid and national team, who leads the way and plays a central role in the team. Winning the Champions League again crowned his year.”
Alaba is currently training in Madrid with those club colleagues who were not in action at the World Cup. The next competitive game with Real for Austria’s three-time sportsman of the year is on December 30th away against Real Valladolid. The Madrilenians are two points behind FC Barcelona after 14 rounds in second place in La Liga. Alaba has been used in all 21 competition games of the record champions in the current season.
Clear choice
With the exception of Lustenau coach Mader, Alaba was the logical choice for those responsible at the Bundesliga clubs. “After his departure from Bayern, he also plays an excellent role at the next top European club. With his quality, he made a huge contribution to winning the Spanish championship and the Champions League title at Real Madrid,” said Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle, who knows Alaba from their times together at Hoffenheim.
Christian Ilzer from Sturm Graz agreed with this opinion. “He’s the logical choice for me: Champions League winner, national team captain and regular at Real Madrid – I think those performances speak for themselves. He has been playing at the absolute top level for years, regularly wins titles and is an absolute leader in these teams, so I clearly deserve first place.” For LASK coach Dietmar Kühbauer, Alaba is also the “undisputed number one”. Rapid coach Zoran Barisic emphasized the role of the Viennese as a “regular and key player”.
