By Akachukwu Amaka
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been chosen as the Spanish top flight’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ for the 2012-13 season, but Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has won the more prestigious awards for La Liga’s Best Player and best attacker after he helped Barcelona win the title despite recurring injury issues.
Messi won the official ‘Player of the Season’ award, and also beat off competition from former Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo and Ronaldo to take the prize for Best Liga BBVA Forward.
The Real Madrid attacker suggested in his speech while accepting his price as an MPV said that he would have preferred to have taken the overall best player award
“It is an honour and privilege to receive this great award for the Most Valuable Player — it motivates me to keep working harder,” Ronaldo said. “I am proud to be in the Liga BBVA. For me, this is the best league in the world and I am at the best club in the world. How could I not be happy? Hopefully next year I can win the award for the best player. I will be working towards it.”
Messi, who is currently back in Argentina recovering from his troublesome run of muscle injuries, stuck to the script during his speech via video link to the ceremony.
“I would like to thank the LFP and the Liga BBVA for this prize,” Messi said. “It is recognition of the [Barca players’] work all year and without them I would not have scored these goals.”
The ceremony which held on Monday night in Madrid almost six months after the 2012-2013 season ended also honored players like; Diego Simeone, Sergio Ramos, Andres Iniesta, Iker Casillas, Thibaut Courtois, Asier Illarramendi and Gerard Deulofeu.
