Former Bayern Munich Star Philipp Lahm Wins 2016-17 'Footballer of the Year' After Retirement
Former Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has been named 2016-17 Footballer of the Year by Germany's Kicker.
The ex-Germany international is seen as a legend at the Bundesliga club, helping Carlo Ancelotti win his first league title in Germany last season before announcing his retirement at the end of the campaign.
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Lahm has previously finished second and third in 2004 and 2006 respectively and lost out to Bayern teammates Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng before, but this year the 33-year-old has come out on top.
The former Stuttgart loanee figured mainly at right-back for Ancelotti's side but also played in central midfield as Bayern won the Bundesliga comfortably, with neither RB Leipzig or Borussia Dortmund putting up much of a fight for the league title.
Almost 900 sports journalists took part in the voting, an increase from the 674 participants from last year, with 242 choosing Lahm and 192 picking Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, a former Bayern teammate of Lahm's.
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Lahm made a total of 517 appearances in all competitions for Bayern, scoring 16 goals and winning eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who topped the goalscoring charts in the Bundesliga with 31 goals in 32 appearances last season, received a fair portion of the vote, picking up 120 nominations.
Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann was named coach of the year, beating off competition from Freiburg boss Christian Streich after guiding his club to a fourth placed finish, qualifying for the Champions League.
