What do Pep Guardiola, John Wark, Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and Paolo Maldini have in common?
They are all winners of the Bravo award. The annual prize is presented by the Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo to young players based on their performances over a single season.
First awarded to Liverpool’s Jimmy Case in 1978, the award was first given out to any player under the age of 23 who played in any one of the three European club cups (UEFA Champions League [European Cup], UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup).
The format was changed in 1992 and since then any player in any European league under the age of 21 can be nominated.
The most recent recipient of the Bravo award was Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi but there are some familiar names on the list throughout the years.
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are unsurprising recipients, while star names Arjen Robben, Alessandro Del Piero and Marco van Basten have also collected the accolade.
Only two players have won the award twice – both in back to back years. Real Madrid forward Emilio Butragueño won it in 1985 & 1986, while Brazilian hotshot Ronaldo won it in 1997 & 1998 while at Barcelona and Inter Milan.
The last English player to win the award was Everton’s Wayne Rooney in 2003 while Bayern Munich’s Owen Hargreaves won it in 2001. Other English recipients include Forest’s Gary Birtles in 1979 and Villa’s Gary Shaw in 1982.
Only two goalkeepers have collected the award – Gigi Buffon in 1999, followed a year later by his Spanish counterpart Ilker Casillas.
Some odd inclusions in the illustrious list of young European based talent include Borussia Dortmund’s Christoph Metzelder in 2002, Roma’s Ubaldo Righetti in 1984 and probably the most bizarre of all – Israeli, Eli Ohana, winning in 1988 while playing for Belgian side KV Mechelen.
One thing is for sure – the list reads as a good barometer for greatness with some stellar players all being awarded a Bravo over the past forty odd years and it will be interesting to see who the next young stars will be. Keep an eye on the Bravo for guidance.
