The “Goal of the Year 2023” was chosen, Florian Wirtz won with an impressive 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.

Body feints and hooks in a confined space, then a clinical finish: the spectacular solo goal from German national player Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) on October 29 in the Bundesliga match against SC Freiburg (2:1) is the “Goal of the Year 2023”.

In the traditional ARD-Sportschau vote, Wirtz’s goal received 26.78 percent of the votes. At the age of 20, he is the youngest goal scorer of the year. The award has been presented since 1971.

Radouane Chaanoune (Fortuna Düsseldorf/16.84 percent), who scored a bicycle kick in the Bundesliga match against 1. FSV Mainz 05 in June, came in second. Maximilian Putz (DJK Vilzing/10.53), a goalkeeper, came in third with a goal against 1. FC Nürnberg II in the Bavarian regional league in July.

The placement of the Schalke players

And where did the Schalke players end up? Among the twelve nominees were two goals 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 named top scorer for the month of February 2023 with his back-heel against VfB Stuttgart. Rodrigo Zalazar ran free on the right wing and played the ball flat in front of VfB’s six-yard box. Bülter moved diagonally into the 16-yard box and shot the ball artfully into the goal with his heel while running. Rating: Outstanding!

A Schalke player was also in twelfth place: Tim Skarke’s goal was voted for by 2.09 percent. 370,000 viewers and users of the Sportschau had taken part in the voting. Skarke was the goal scorer of the month in April. His solo run with a powerful shot 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 the direct competitor in the relegation battle.

By the way, solos are not uncommon in the Goal of the Month. With Wirtz’s goal, there have been a total of 73 in the long history of the Goal of the Month in this category. Eight of them have also been awarded the Goal of the Year medal.