Wirtz has been crowned Footballer of the Year.
Florian Wirtz, the talented German footballer, has been named Germany's Footballer of the Year for 2025. The prestigious award was bestowed upon him following a remarkable 2024-25 season at Bayer Leverkusen and his subsequent transfer to Liverpool.
Wirtz earned 191 votes from over 600 journalists in the poll by Kicker magazine, securing his place as the deserving winner[1][2][3]. His impressive performance during the season saw him contribute 31 goal involvements (16 goals and 15 assists) for Leverkusen[1][2].
Meanwhile, the Coach of the Year award went to Julian Schuster, who led SC Freiburg to a fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga and secured Europa League qualification in his first season as head coach[2][3]. Schuster's impressive achievements earned him 159 votes, narrowly missing out on the top spot to Horst Steffen[3].
The awards were decided by a survey of German sports journalists organized by Kicker magazine and the Association of German Sports Journalists[2][3]. Other notable contenders for Footballer of the Year included Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) and Nick Woltemade (Stuttgart)[2][3].
In a unique twist, the "Kicker" election for Germany's Footballer of the Year saw two players tie for the first time ever. DFB captain Giulia Gwinn and national goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger shared the title, with both players receiving recognition for their outstanding performances[1][2][3].
Gwinn, who has over 730,000 followers on Instagram, making her the most popular German footballer after Alexandra Popp's resignation from the DFB, won the championship and cup with FC Bayern. Despite an unlucky run at the European Championship and the publication of her popular biography titled "Write your own story," Gwinn was named Footballer of the Year[1][2][3].
Berger, who was also named the best goalkeeper in the US NWSL, received recognition for her strong performances at the 2024 Olympics[1][2][3]. Her acknowledgement of Gwinn's greatness after her recovery from a serious knee injury further highlighted the mutual respect between the two players.
Julian Schuster, who succeeded trainer legend Christian Streich at SC Freiburg, was named Coach of the Year for qualifying the team for the Europa League in his first season[1][2][3].
In a humble acceptance speech, Wirtz acknowledged the collective effort behind his individual award and expressed his awareness of the expectations associated with being named Germany's Footballer of the Year[1][2][3].
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich had been trying to sign Wirtz for months, but he chose to move to the Premier League with FC Liverpool[1][2][3].
This summary reflects the latest officially reported results from August 2025.
Florian Wirtz's football skills were showcased not only in his impressive performance for Bayer Leverkusen, but also in his new team, Liverpool, in the English Premier League. Meanwhile, the women's side of football witnessed a historic moment as DFB captain Giulia Gwinn and national goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger shared the title for Footballer of the Year.
