Antoine griezmann, LA Liga's best player of the year

Griezmann named La Liga's best player as Barcelona, Real and Atletico share awards

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has been named as the best player in La Liga at an awards ceremony in Valencia on Monday. The Atletico Madrid forward surprisingly succeeded Barcelona man Lionel Messi as the division's best star at the Spanish top flight's annual awards.

Messi, who claimed the individual Liga gong on six of the previous seven times it was up for grabs, pipped Barcelona top scorer and team-mate Suarez and Athletic Bilbao veteran Aritz Aduriz to the best striker prize, while Uruguay's Suarez was recognised as La Liga's "World Player" despite the honours for Argentina's Messi and France's Griezmann.

Atletico's miserly defensive work was duly recognised, with Jan Oblak and Diego Godin named as La Liga's best goalkeeper and best defender respectively, while their boss Diego Simeone was also honoured with his third coach of the year award in four seasons ahead of departed Villarreal chief Marcelino and Celta Vigo's Eduardo Berizzo - with Barcelona's double-winning Luis Enrique not granted a look in.

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