Bobic, who has been on the Eintracht board since 2016, was honoured with the award for his “outstanding performance and character” over the last 12 months.
“Recognition of my team and the club as a whole”
“To be named Man of the Year by football journalists from all over Germany is a great honour,” Bobic said on Sunday. “To win an award that kicker have been running since 1990 makes me very proud, but I view it as recognition of my team and the club as a whole. The list of former winners reads like a veritable who-is-who of German football.”
SC Freiburg head coach Christian Streich won the award 12 months ago, while Franz Beckenbauer was the first person to be named kicker’s Man of the Year back in 1990 after guiding West Germany to the FIFA World Cup title that summer. Other previous winners include current Germany head coach Joachim Löw, Otto Rehhagel and Jürgen Klinsmann.
“Sporting achievement and positive attitude”
In naming Bobic as its latest winner of the Man of the Year award, kicker hailed the 47-year-old’s “significant contribution to the stability, continuity and therefore the success of a club steeped in tradition”, while also praising the former Germany international for going about his work in a “sophisticated, realistic and straightforward” manner.
