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Bayern Munich end-of-season awards

By Benjamin Scott

Bayern Munich's players including Bayern Munich's Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben celebrate with the trophy after the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs SC Freiburg, his last match for the club, in the southern German city of Munich on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Guenter SCHIFFMANN / RESTRICTIONS: DURING MATCH TIME: DFL RULES TO LIMIT THE ONLINE USAGE TO 15 PICTURES PER MATCH AND FORBID IMAGE SEQUENCES TO SIMULATE VIDEO. == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE == FOR FURTHER QUERIES PLEASE CONTACT DFL DIRECTLY AT 49 69 650050 (Photo credit should read GUENTER SCHIFFMANN/AFP/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich's players including Bayern Munich's Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben celebrate with the trophy after the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs SC Freiburg, his last match for the club, in the southern German city of Munich on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Guenter SCHIFFMANN / RESTRICTIONS: DURING MATCH TIME: DFL RULES TO LIMIT THE ONLINE USAGE TO 15 PICTURES PER MATCH AND FORBID IMAGE SEQUENCES TO SIMULATE VIDEO. == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE == FOR FURTHER QUERIES PLEASE CONTACT DFL DIRECTLY AT 49 69 650050 (Photo credit should read GUENTER SCHIFFMANN/AFP/Getty Images) /
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INGOLSTADT, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 11: Mats Hummels of Bayern Muenchen looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Ingolstadt 04 and Bayern Muenchen at Audi Sportpark on February 11, 2017 in Ingolstadt, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
INGOLSTADT, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 11: Mats Hummels of Bayern Muenchen looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Ingolstadt 04 and Bayern Muenchen at Audi Sportpark on February 11, 2017 in Ingolstadt, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Defensive player of the season: Mats Hummels

In a move which infuriated many Dortmund fans, last summer Mats Hummels re-joined Bayern Munich–the club where he spent his youth. Now, only a season later, Hummels has established himself as the premier defensive player at the club that once deemed him not good enough.

Hummels possesses all the qualities necessary for a modern center-back. His aerial presence is no joke, he can tackle with the best of them, and any defensive midfielder would be thrilled to have his dribbling and passing abilities.

Hummels’ dedication to bringing success to Munich was perhaps best displayed in the second leg match against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite suffering a fairly serious injuries merely weeks before the tie, Mats trained tirelessly and fought through the pain to earn a man of the match award for the second leg–when in all reality he probably should not have even been allowed to play.

He is Bayern’s rock, their anchor. Jerome Boateng has taken a step back this season and can’t seem to avoid injury. David Alaba has potential to be a world-class player at both left and center-back, but has not fully tapped into that yet. Philipp Lahm is retired, and while Javi Martinez has improved significantly, he is still a step away from proving himself as Bayern’s best defender. That title belongs solely to Mats Hummels.

Runner-up: Javi Martinez