Fabregas dominates race for EHF Excellence Awards nominations
Fabregas dominates race for EHF Excellence Awards nominations
European Handball Federation
07 March 2023, 10:00
While the group phase of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League came to an end last week, the race for the nominations to the inaugural EHF Excellence Awards hots up.
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14 'Teams of the Round' have been named which allowed the players nominated to gather points for their eventual nominations.
There is one clear leader, as Barça’s Ludovic Fabregas has been named six times (five times as line player, once as best defender).
With right backs Dika Mem (Barça) and Dainis Kristopans (PSG Handball), left wing Timur Dibirov (HC PPD Zagreb), centre back Gisli Kristjansson (SC Magdeburg) and right wing Niclas Ekberg (THW Kiel) five players received three nominations.
The top 3 players in each position, who by the end of the quarter-finals have received the most nominations, will eventually make the candidate list for the 'EHF Excellence Awards'.
And the race between Mem and Kristopans on the right back position is a tell-tale sign how fierce the competition for the spots is.
Current leaders in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League
Goalkeeper: Andreas Wolff, Tobias Thulin and Gonzalo Perez de Vargas have each been named twice
Left wing: Timur Dibirov leads with three nominations. Valero Rivera and Sebastian Barthold are joint second with two nomination
Left back: Veszprém’s Rasmus Lauge is the only player who has been nominated twice
Centre back: Kristjansson is hunted by Aleks Vlah and Luc Steins who have both received two nominations
Right back: Behind Mem and Kristopans there is Omar Igni Magnusson with two nominations
Right wing: Niclas Ekberg leads the pack; Kristian Bjornsen and Arkadiusz Moryto are hot on his heels with two nominations each
Line player: Besides Fabregas only FC Porto’s Victor Iturriza (two nominations) has been named more than once
Defender: Matej Gaber has enjoyed two nominations – and is the only player with that feat to date.
The final list of candidates will have a maximum of nine nominees per position. Besides the three players coming from the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, there will be one nominee/position from the EHF European League and three nominees per position from the national team matches. Additionally, one player will receive a wildcard in each position.
On the men’s side, one spot for each position has already been filled by the All-stars named at the IHF Men’s World Championship: Andreas Wolff (goalkeeper), Angel Fernandez (left wing), Simon Pytlick (left back), Nedim Remili (centre back), Alex Dujshebaev (right back), Niclas Ekberg (right wing), Ludovic Fabregas (line player) and Mathias Gidsel (MVP)
These eight players have already secured their nomination for the Player of the Year awards. In case they also receive a nomination via the Teams of the Round in the EHF Champions League, no additional player is nominated, and the final list of candidates subsequently reduced.
Europe's first EHF Excellence Awards will be announced at a glitzy gala in Vienna on June 26, 2023.
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