Top football awards for Sesa, Amoah and Koller
David Sesa, Charles Amoah and Marcel Koller were the big winners at the third annual Swiss football awards.
Sesa, a Swiss international who plays club football for the Italian side, Lecce, was named best Swiss player based abroad. Charles Amoah was meanwhile recognised for his massive contribution to Sankt Gallen’s championship season. The Ghanaian striker left the ceremony in Berne clutching three awards – best player in Switzerland, top goalscorer and best striker.
Having scored 25 goals in a title-winning season, Amoah was the clear favourite for the best player award. There was also no surprise over the naming of this season’s best manager – Amoah’s coach at Sankt Gallen, Marcel Koller.
None of those receiving awards will have any misconceptions about the fickleness of professional football, though. In being named best manager, Koller inherits a mantle last placed on Raimondo Ponte, sacked by FC Zurich earlier this year after making a costly error in fielding an ineligible player.
The national goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler was amongst the other winners. He took the fair play award but missed out on best keeper, which went to Lucerne’s Patrick Foletti. Basel’s Oliver Kreuzer and Lausanne’s Christophe Ohrel were named best defender and best midfielder respectively.
There was also a welcome boost for Switzerland’s only ‘entrant’ in Euro 2000, referee Urs Meier. He picked up the title which some fans insist is a contradiction in terms – being once again honoured as best referee.
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