Ismaël Saibari named best player in the Dutch league

Moroccan international Ismaël Saibari has won the Eredivisie Golden Shoe, an award honoring the best player in the Dutch football league.

The 25-year-old PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder finished well clear at the top of the annual ranking compiled by Dutch daily De Telegraaf, in partnership with the KNVB, the governing body of football in the Netherlands, and the VVCS, the association representing Dutch professional players.

The jury, made up of 35 former Netherlands internationals from several generations, includes players who featured in the 1974, 1978, and 2010 World Cup finals, as well as members of the Netherlands’ 1988 European Championship-winning side.

Among the Dutch football legends who named Saibari as the season’s best player were Ruud Gullit, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Roy Makaay, and Bert van Marwijk.

In all, 27 of the 35 jury members placed the Moroccan international at the top of their rankings. Saibari finished ahead of Mika Godts (Ajax) and Joey Veerman (PSV), who came second and third, respectively, in the voting for an award that has been handed out for more than four decades.

Ismaël Saibari enjoyed an outstanding season with PSV, scoring 19 goals and providing 9 assists in all competitions, including 15 goals and 8 assists in the league.