00:00 [APPLAUSE]
00:21 So good evening, everyone.
00:26 A warm welcome to all ESM jury members here in the room with us and
00:31 those who are following the live stream from their countries across Europe.
00:35 On behalf of UEFA and the European Sports Media Group,
00:39 represented here on the other corner of the table by our president, Jorg Jacob.
00:42 We congratulate our two winners for this year UEFA Player Awards,
00:49 Aitana Bonmati and Erlich Haaland.
00:51 And before we give the floor to any questions from our journalists here,
00:57 I would like just to give briefly the results so you notice also for your reports.
01:01 Erlich, let's start with Aitana.
01:05 Aitana was first ranked with 308 points.
01:10 Second, Sam Kerr with 88.
01:12 And third, Olga Carmona with 72.
01:15 So congratulations, Aitana.
01:17 And on the other side for the men's, Erlich first with 352 points.
01:22 Second was Leo Messi, 227.
01:27 Close, Kevin De Bruyne, 225, two points.
01:32 So I think we are ready to start with the press conference.
01:35 Raise your hand.
01:35 And we are ready to start.
01:39 Let's start the question for Aitana first, please.
01:42 So who is for Aitana?
01:43 Sander, here.
01:44 Hello, Aitana.
01:46 Congratulations with your awards, very deserved.
01:48 I'm coming from Holland, from Football Magazine El Futbol.
01:52 My question is, Barcelona won the Champions League,
01:55 the national team of Spain became world champion.
01:58 Why is Spain dominating women's football at this moment?
02:01 Yeah, good evening, thank you.
02:06 I think we have been working hard a lot of years.
02:14 And improving a lot, especially physically,
02:18 because we always had the talent, the technique.
02:23 But we have to improve our physique and we did it.
02:29 Now we can compete with everyone in the world.
02:34 And here are the results with the club winning the Champions League and
02:38 also with the national team winning the World Cup.
02:42 So, incredible year for us.
02:44 Thank you, Aitana.
02:46 Let's alternate one question for Erling, who is here, Gavin.
02:49 Hi, Erling, Gavin Hamilton from England.
02:53 Congratulations on the award.
02:55 You seem to have a very natural talent for goal scoring.
02:59 Can you tell us a little bit about your goal scoring ability?
03:03 Is it something that you feel is natural?
03:05 And was there a point when you were growing up that you thought, hey,
03:08 I've got something special here?
03:12 >> The thing is, when I was young,
03:16 I was like most of us watching football.
03:20 And then when I was watching football, I saw when the people were celebrating.
03:27 And then I was like, I would love this to be me.
03:31 So that was how I was thinking.
03:34 And then it became natural for me to become a striker,
03:37 because the strikers score mostly the goals.
03:40 And also the love or how you celebrate and all these kind of things when you're
03:47 playing on yourself, what you do normally you shoot on a goal.
03:51 And then with my friends,
03:53 I was celebrating a lot doing the other kind of celebration.
03:56 So it's a little bit natural, and of course I've been working on it.
04:02 But it's a difficult question because if I'm born with it,
04:09 I don't think I'm born with it.
04:11 I think I've been working on it a lot.
04:13 And then it comes natural for me with understanding the game and everything.
04:18 But it's a difficult question.
04:20 I just love the feeling and that's why I do it.
04:24 >> Let's go to the second question for Aitana.
04:28 Yes, David.
04:31 >> Hola, Aitana, enhorabuena, enhorabuena, congratulations.
04:38 This year you win the championship, the World Cup in the summer.
04:44 Is this your best year of your career?
04:48 Thank you.
04:48 >> Gracias, David.
04:52 In English also?
04:55 Okay, I will try.
04:57 Thank you again, David.
05:01 Yes, of course, I can say this is my best year since I am
05:06 a professional football player.
05:09 I've been growing a lot these past years with Barca, with national team.
05:15 And this year, as I said before, I don't have any words for this year.
05:23 Winning Champions League, winning World Cup, and also growing as a footballer,
05:28 it means a lot for me.
05:32 And this year will remain on my heart forever.
05:34 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:41 >> I'm Solosi George from
05:43 Namsatisport, Hungary.
05:44 Erling, at Manchester City, what had been the biggest challenge for
05:48 you to adapt to the way Pep Guardiola wants his team to play?
05:53 >> The most difficult.
05:55 >> Yeah, challenge.
05:57 >> Challenge.
05:58 >> Good question.
06:04 What is the most difficult, I have to think.
06:09 I mean, he's really demanding, Pep.
06:13 Everybody knows this, everybody can see this.
06:18 So of course, it's not easy because the club kind of was a bit used to not
06:23 playing with a striker, and then this was a perfect challenge for me to come in and
06:29 show everyone that City can become even better with a striker.
06:34 And then of course, some people talk, did you choose the wrong club?
06:38 Did they do this or that?
06:39 This is normal, this is the job of the people.
06:43 And then it's my job to prove them wrong, and I think I did this, to be honest.
06:49 So, but the challenge, I don't know, it's a big club.
06:57 And it's not easy to come into a new club, a lot of games and everything.
07:01 But I don't really know, it's difficult to answer the question because I didn't
07:06 think of this and I don't know what the biggest challenge was, to be honest.
07:11 Sorry.
07:13 >> Next one for Aitan.
07:17 Jen.
07:20 >> Hi, Jen O'Neill from England.
07:21 Sincere congratulations.
07:23 Aitana, the way that you play and your dedication for the sport,
07:28 do you see yourself as a role model not just for
07:31 girls in Spain, but for girls and boys all around the world?
07:34 >> Yes, I always try to say that I want to be a role model also for boys,
07:42 not only for girls.
07:43 It's important for the young boys that can see
07:50 women as a role model, not only men's.
07:55 Because I remember when I was ten years old, 11, now I'm 25.
08:00 I only had men's role model.
08:07 I always say that, I always fix my eyes on Iniesta, Chavez.
08:11 But now it's important that we can be role models for boys and girls.
08:18 >> Who's next for Erling?
08:21 Paul here in front.
08:23 >> Paul Gamlevon from Aftenposten, Norway.
08:27 Congrats, Erling.
08:29 You seem to have reached a new level of fame this past year.
08:35 Some may call it superstardom.
08:37 Is it more like an honor or a burden or are you just completely relaxed about it?
08:47 >> Yeah, I enjoy it.
08:50 I'm sitting here tonight winning this, so I'm not complaining at all on anything.
08:55 So I'm enjoying it.
08:58 >> Next one, Aitana.
09:01 >> Congratulations, Aitana.
09:06 Joanna Tokarska from Poland, TVP Sport.
09:08 And how much has women's football
09:13 developed in recent years,
09:17 particularly with the new Champions League format?
09:22 And do you think it could be the next steps to accelerate that development?
09:30 >> Yeah, thank you, first of all.
09:35 The last few years we saw a very quick development of women's football.
09:42 I remember a few years ago, six years ago,
09:46 when I played mini-stadium Barcelona,
09:50 I only had 3,000 people in the stands.
09:56 And now we are playing against one of the stadiums full.
10:03 In Champions League, also in World Cup, so for us it's a dream.
10:08 And yeah, what was the question, sorry?
10:13 >> [INAUDIBLE]
10:18 >> No, sorry because it's my-
10:19 >> [INAUDIBLE]
10:19 >> Yeah, this one I want to.
10:22 Sorry because my English is not the best, but I'm trying.
10:25 So the next steps, I think there's a lot to do right now.
10:31 We have been watching the last few days what's happening in Spain.
10:36 So we have been in a struggle situation and there's a lot to do.
10:44 Now I want to say the same, that there's a lot to do.
10:51 >> So we go with the second question.
10:56 >> Hi, [INAUDIBLE] from a team player in Denmark, and this is for you, Erling.
11:02 So as you probably know in my country,
11:04 we're not supposed to praise Norwegians and vice versa, surely.
11:09 But even I have to admit that you're pretty perfect at the moment.
11:14 So- >> Thank you.
11:15 >> You're welcome.
11:18 They forced me to say this.
11:19 >> [LAUGH]
11:22 >> But no, seriously, Erling,
11:24 you're doing really well, unlike first season couldn't have gotten any better.
11:30 Is there anything that you're still working on, any specific tactical,
11:34 technical issue that you want to improve?
11:37 >> Yeah, a lot.
11:39 Latest today I was working together with the coaches
11:44 before I came here on a lot of things.
11:46 So there's so much I can still learn and I can improve so much.
11:52 So yeah, I'm happy I'm still young, cuz I am.
11:59 And I'm also happy that there's so much more I can become better on,
12:04 because it is.
12:05 So I think I'm in a perfect place to keep on developing.
12:11 I think Pep and team is doing a great job, I have to say.
12:17 And I look forward to keep on building on different kind of things and
12:22 to develop my game even more.
12:28 >> Let's take one each and then we finish.
12:31 Last one for Ayrana, la ultima.
12:32 >> Who is it here?
12:35 >> So you wanted in Swedish newspaper,
12:39 it's on our first big congratulations on a fantastic season.
12:46 And especially to the World Cup gold.
12:48 But I have to ask you, how do you feel about that your historic
12:54 gold was overshadowed by something that was not so good?
13:00 >> Pardon, pardon, can you?
13:01 >> So your historical triumph was overshadowed by something negative.
13:08 How do you feel about it?
13:10 >> I can explain in Spanish because I can talk better.
13:14 [FOREIGN]
13:24 [FOREIGN]
13:34 [FOREIGN]
13:44 [FOREIGN]
13:54 >> Go with the last one, please.
14:13 >> Hello, Erling, Hugo Vasconcelos from Ebola Portugal.
14:18 You've won basically all competitions at club level,
14:23 you only missed the League Cup last year.
14:26 You're winning a lot of individual awards.
14:29 What are your goals next?
14:34 Is it possible to achieve that level of success, for
14:37 instance, with the national team?
14:40 >> I think it will be difficult to achieve a treble with Norway, to be honest.
14:45 >> [LAUGH]
14:47 >> So no, it's not possible.
14:51 It's honest answer, but I do want to achieve things with Norway.
14:56 I hope in my lifetime I will be able to play in, what do you call it,
15:03 even Euros or World Cup.
15:07 That's a big goal for me, and I will do everything I can to make it happen,
15:13 because the country deserves it, and I would love to do it.
15:18 So I'll work as hard as I can to achieve it, but no treble, I'm sorry.
15:25 >> Congratulations again both, and
15:28 we may see you again back with the same trophies next year.
15:31 >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
15:31 >> Yes.
15:32 >> [APPLAUSE]
15:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]
15:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]
16:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]
16:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments