Bayern Munich dominated the Bundesliga season, but it was Michael Olise who stole the show as player of the year, according to our panel. The French winger notched 15 goals and 21 assists in just 23 league starts, with a further five goals and six assists in the Champions League. His dribbling, tempo-setting, and deadly accuracy from anywhere on the pitch made him an all-consuming threat, even forcing PSG manager Luis Enrique to instruct his goalkeeper to boot the ball out of play to crowd Olise's flank during a Champions League semi-final.
Harry Kane's 61-goal season across all competitions was remarkable, but Olise's impact edged him out. Youngster Saïd El Mala of Köln also impressed with 13 goals and five assists, earning a Germany call-up, while Leipzig's Yan Diomande scored 12 in his debut campaign. However, the young player of the year award went to Hamburg loanee Luka Vuskovic, who anchored the promoted side's defence with tigerish tackling, calm leadership, and six goals. The 19-year-old centre-back, on loan from Tottenham, has attracted interest from Bayern and Dortmund.
Goal of the season went to Liverpool's Luis Díaz for his stunning solo effort against Union Berlin, where he slid to keep the ball in play, dribbled past two defenders, and smashed home from a tight angle. Runners-up included Fábio Vieira's lob for Hamburg and Martin Terrier's scorpion kick for Bayer Leverkusen. Coach of the season honours went to Vincent Kompany for transforming Bayern into an entertaining, humble team, with Ole Werner (RB Leipzig) and Christian Ilzer (Hoffenheim) also commended.
