21.12.2020
- Arijan Ademi won the title of the best player of Hrvatski Telekom's First League with 20 points more than the second-ranked Mijo Caktaš
- This title before him went to Niko Kranjčar, Eduardo da Silva, Luka Modrić, Mario Mandžukić, Sammir, Ivan Santini, Leon Benko, Andrej Kramarić, Marin Tomasov, Franko Andrijašević, El Arabi Hilal Soudani, Dani Olmo, Bruno Petković.
- Today, the traditional poll was conducted by tportal.hr among all the captains of Hrvatski Telekom's First League clubs, and the best player was selected based on the sum of their votes.
Arijan Ademi the best football player of the year according to the 'Captains choose' by Tportal
Arijan Ademi, Dinamo's midfielder, was named the best footballer in a poll conducted by tportal among football captains for the 18th year in a row. Arijan Ademi won the title of the best player of Hrvatski Telekom's First League with 66 points, 20 more than the second-ranked Mijo Caktaš.
Today, the traditional poll was conducted by tportal.hr among all the captains of Hrvatski Telekom's First League clubs. The best player was selected based on the sum of their votes. Each captain selected five players he thinks showed the most in the field in 2020. The first, or the best, was awarded ten, and the fifth two points. By adding points, Hrvatski Telekom's First League's best player became Dinamo's midfielder Arijan Ademi, who scored 66 out of 100 points, and the first runner-up Hajduk's captain, Mijo Caktaš.
'The Captains Choose award is one of the most important sports awards in Croatia. We are proud of its long tradition, and we are choosing the best player of Hrvatski Telekom First League for the 18th time. By awarding the prize in these challenging and difficult times, tportal gives even stronger support to sports and athletes. Tportal is one of the leading news portals in Croatia, and sports content will be just as important to us in the future as before, 'said the editor-in-chief of tportal, Danijela Jozić. On this occasion, she thanked the Sports section editor on tportal, Vladimir Radičević, and the journalist and the initiator of the project, Silvija Škrlec.
The trophy was handed over to the winner by the initiator of this action, Silvijo Škrlec. Admittedly, in significantly different conditions than in previous years, all in accordance with epidemiological measures. Namely, instead of the usual promotion, in front of the press, we handed over the trophy for the best football player in 2020, this time to the winner, Arijan Ademi, in the premises of GNK Dinamo, so as not to expose anyone to possible risk.
Before Ademi thanked for the votes, we reminded him that this title was previously won by Niko Kranjčar, Eduardo da Silva, Luka Modrić, Mario Mandžukić, Sammir, Leon Benko, Andrej Kramarić, Marin Tomasov, Franko Andrijašević, El Arabi Hilal Soudani, Dani Olmo, Bruno Petković.
"I think there is no greater honor and pleasure than when you are chosen as the best by people who do the same job as you. And that's why this 'Captains Choose' trophy will hold a special place in my career. I thank everyone who took part in this selection and my teammates without whom this would not have been possible. HT First league is often underestimated in public, but good football is really played here. Were the infrastructure better, the matches of the Croatian first leagues would not lag far behind what we regularly watch on television from Western Europe", said Ademi when receiving the tportal award, but also announced an exciting 2021.
"Despite the global epidemiological crisis, this was a great year in which I achieved great results with Dinamo and the national team of Northern Macedonia. It is up to me to continue on the same path. In the Croatian championship, then in the Europa League, where we will have two difficult matches with Krasnodar, and at the Euro next summer, where I will participate for the first time with Northern Macedonia. Also, I have a great desire for all those games to finally be in front of the audience. I wish all readers of tportal all the best on the occasion of the upcoming holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year."
Arijan Ademi is the winner of the 18th election, and last year the captains of Hrvatski Telekom's First League awarded Bruno Petković the best football player.
Final ranking
- Arijan Ademi (Dinamo) - 66 points
- Mijo Caktaš (Hajduk) - 46 points
- Franko Andrijašević (Rijeka) - 18 points
- Kristijan Lovrić (Gorica) - 18 points
- Ante Majstorović (Osijek) - 14 points
- Dominik Livaković (Dinamo) - 14 points
- Igor Silva (Osijek) - 14 points
- Mile Škorić (Osijek) - 14 points
- Mislav Oršić (Dinamo) - 10 points
- Mario Vušković (Hajduk) - 10 points
- Petar Bočkaj (Osijek) - 8 points
- Nemanja Glavčić (Slaven Belupo) - 8 points
- Tibor Halilović (Rijeka) - 8 points
- Ivica Ivušić (Osijek) - 8 points
- Kristijan Kahlina (Gorica) - 8 points
- Karlo Lulić (Slaven Belupo) - 6 points
- Marko Bulat (Šibenik) - 4 points
- Mario Gavranović (Dinamo) - 4 points
- Jairo (Hajduk) - 4 points
- Lovro Majer (Dinamo) - 4 points
- Ramon Mierez (Osijek) - 4 points
- Bruno Petković (Dinamo) - 4 points
- Šime Gržan (Istra 1961) - 2 points
- Ivan Nevistić (Rijeka) - 2 points
- Goran Paracki (Slaven Belupo) - 2 points
All previous winners
- 2003 Niko Kranjčar (Dinamo)
- 2004 Tomislav Erceg (Rijeka)
- 2005 Eduardo da Silva (Dinamo)
- 2006 Eduardo da Silva (Dinamo)
- 2007 Luka Modrić (Dinamo)
- 2008 Mario Mandžukić (Dinamo)
- 2009 Ermin Zec (Šibenik)
- 2010 Sammir (Dinamo)
- 2011 Ivan Santini (Zadar)
- 2012 Sammir (Dinamo)
- 2013 Leon Benko (Rijeka)
- 2014 Andrej Kramarić (Rijeka)
- 2015 Marin Tomasov (Rijeka)
- 2016 Franko Andrijašević (Rijeka)
- 2017 El Arabi Hilal Soudani (Dinamo)
- 2018 Daniel Olmo Carvajal (Dinamo)
- 2019 Bruno Petković (Dinamo)
- 2020 Arijan Ademi (Dinamo)