Olympique Marseille announced on 15 June that Hiroki Sakai has been awarded the fans’ player of the season aka Olympien de la Saison.

Sakai was picked over previous season’s winner Florian Thauvin as the club’s best player in the fan-voted award. For the 2018/19 season, the Japanese international played in a total of 32 matches, including 27 in the league. Not only did the full-back operated on his predominant right position, he also contributed his versatility on the left, and has even scored his first Ligue 1 goal against Toulouse in May. Despite the team finishing a disappointing 5th in the league, thereby missing out on European football next season, Sakai’s effort did not go unnoticed with the club faithfuls.

The club speaks highly of the player: “Hiroki Sakai is a player who never gives up. His dedication and fighting spirit makes him a favourite of the Velodrome fans. He is one of the best in the league in his position.”

For Japanese football news: CoolJapan Soccer

Source: Yahoo

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