The “Goal of the Year 2023” was chosen, Florian Wirtz won with a spectacular solo goal. Two Schalke players were also nominated.
The “Goal of the Year 2023” was chosen, Florian Wirtz won with a remarkable solo goal. Two Schalke players were also nominated.
Physical tricks and hooks in the tightest of spaces, then a dry finish: the remarkable solo goal scored by international soccer player Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) on 29 October in the Bundesliga match against SC Freiburg (2:1) is the “Goal of the Year 2023”.
Wirtz’s goal received 26.78% of the votes in the traditional ARD-Sportschau poll. At the age of 20, he is the youngest goalscorer of the year; the award has been presented since 1971.
Second place went to Radouane Chaanoune (Fortuna Düsseldorf/16.84%), who scored with a bicycle kick in June’s Bundesliga match against 1. FSV Mainz 05. Third place went to Maximilian Putz (DJK Vilzing/10.53), the goalkeeper was successful in July in the Bavarian regional league against 1. FC Nürnberg II.
The ranking of the Schalke team
And where did Schalke finish? Among the twelve nominees, two goals were scored by men in the royal blue jersey of FC Schalke 04.
Marius Bülter ended up in fifth place with 6.5 percent. He was the goalscorer of the month for February 2023 with his back-heel goal against VfB Stuttgart. Rodrigo Zalazar ran free on the right wing and played the ball flat in front of VfB’s five-meter area. Bülter moved diagonally into the 16-yard box and artfully chipped the ball into the goal. Predicate: Outstanding!
A Schalke player was also in twelfth place: Tim Skarke’s goal was selected with 2.09 percent. 370,000 viewers and users of Sportschau took part in the voting. Skarke was goalscorer of the month for April. His solo run with a powerful finish under the crossbar was not only beautiful, but also important. Skarke gave Schalke a 1:0 lead against Hertha BSC and thus secured the first point in the important 5:2 victory against their direct rivals in the relegation battle.
Incidentally, solos are not uncommon for the goal of the month. Including Wirtz’s, there have been a total of 73 goals in this category in the long history of Goal of the Month. Eight of them were also awarded the medal for Goal of the Year