11FREUNDE award for Leon Bailey
After an exciting first season in the Bundesliga, Leon Bailey has received another award: The Jamaican has been voted newcomer of last season by a panel on the 11FREUNDE magazine.
After being voted Newcomer of the Season by his fellow Bundesliga professionals, Leon Bailey came out on top of a poll in the 11FREUNDE magazine in this category with 63 points, clearly ahead of Hoffenheim's Dennis Geiger (27 points) and Jean-Kévin Augustin (RB Leipzig, 26 points). Last year, Bayer 04 homegrown player Kai Havertz was runner-up to former Borussia Dortmund youngster Ousmane Dembélé.
Award presentation in Cologne
The panel, including Germany coach Jogi Löw, presenter Jessica Kastrop and former Bayer 04 player Stefan Reinartz, explained the reasoning for the vote with the following statement: "Leon Bailey is never put off wherever he is as he feels at home on the football pitch. He combines the pace of a Usain Bolt with good technique. Above all, Bailey is again and again brave in one-on-ones like almost nobody else in the Bundesliga.“
Leon Bailey will be joined at the awards night on 10 August at the Flora in Cologne by Naldo of FC Schalke 04 (Player of the Season), Dr. Felix Brych (Referee of the Season), Jupp Heynckes of Bayern Munich (Coach of the Season), FC Köln's Jonas Hector (Character of the Season) and Fredi Bobic of Eintracht Frankfurt (General Manager of the Season).
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