The UEFA Champions League final man of the match award is often regarded as a preserve of the football superstars who play as defenders, midfielders, and strikers. However, that was not the case in the 2021/22 Champions League when Real Madrid's keeper Thibaut Courtois clinched the award.
The award presented at State De France makes Courtois one of the best goalkeepers in European football. A disgruntled Jurgen Klopp complained that the goalkeeper was largely the factor behind the 1-0 loss to Los Blancos. "When the goalkeeper is the man of the match then something is really wrong."
TeamKenya.co.ke looks at some of the superstars that have been awarded the award and what led to them winning the awards in the previous games.
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Steven Gerrard - 2005
When Gerrard announced Courtois as the man of the match on Saturday, May 28, the moment opened a memory of him receiving the award in 2005 in Turkey. The current Aston Villa manager and former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard was awarded the man of the match award in the 2004/05 Champions League final.
The match held at Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey saw Liverpool beat Milan 3-2 to win the season's title.
Edwin Van Der Sar- 2008
Van Der Sar got the privilege to win taste the Champions League victory twice in 1995 with Ajax and in 2008 with Manchester United. In the 2007/08 Champions League final match, Van der Sar became the man of the match in the hotly contested Red Devils' 6-5 win against Chelsea.
Lionel Messi - 2011
Current Paris Saint Germain PSG and Argentine forward Lionel Messi bagged the coveted 2010/11 Champions League final man of the match award. Messi was playing for Barcelona who scooped the league title in their 3-1 win against Manchester United in Wembley Stadium.
Didier Drogba - 2012
The 44-year-old retired Ivorian striker followed Messi as the man of the match in the 2011/12 Champions League season final in Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. Chelsea beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties which was an embarrassing loss to Bayern at home.
Christiano Ronaldo - 2017
The match played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in Wales saw in June 2017 saw the then Real Madrid forward Christiano Ronaldo crowned man of the match. The game which was the first European title cup held under a closed roof saw Real Madrid thrash Juventus 4-1.
N'Golo Kante - 2021
The 31-year-old French national was awarded man of the match after helping Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in Porto to claim the season's league title.