An anonymous survey conducted by `kicker` gathered opinions from 216 footballers across all 18 Bundesliga clubs to determine the standout performers and biggest disappointments of the season. Players rated not only their fellow competitors but also their coaches and even the clubs themselves.
Top Performing Players
Among outfield players, the race for the season`s best was tight, but **Florian Wirtz** ultimately secured the top spot with 28.2% of the votes, narrowly beating Michael Olise (26.4%). **Serhou Guirassy** and **Omar Marmoush** were jointly in a clear third place with 4.2% each.
The outcome was more decisive in the goalkeeper category: **Robin Zentner** from Mainz 05 led the polling with 19.9% of votes. **Peter Gulacsi** (12.0%) and **Finn Dahmen** (10.6%) followed in second and third place, respectively.
Season`s Biggest Player Disappointments
The player most frequently cited as a disappointment among outfielders was **Joao Palhinha**, receiving 13.4% of the votes. Borussia Dortmund`s **Julian Brandt** also disappointed his peers, polling 10.2%. **Victor Boniface** was voted third with 6.9%.
For goalkeepers, **Patrick Drewes** was named the biggest disappointment with 13.9% of votes. Drewes had a notable incident earlier in the season involving a lighter being thrown onto the pitch during a match and later lost his starting position. **Kevin Trapp** (9.7%) and **Jonas Omlin** (9.3%) were close behind in this category.
Bundesliga Coaches Rated by Players
Players also evaluated the performance of the league`s coaches. Freiburg`s **Julian Schuster** was a clear winner, chosen as the season`s best coach by 31.5% of players. **Bo Henriksen** came in second with 19.0%, and **Vincent Kompany** was third with 14.4%.
On the other side, **Nuri Sahin** received the most votes for coach disappointment, with 34.7%. **Ralph Hasenhüttl** (11.1%) and **Marco Rose** (11.1%) also featured significantly in this negative assessment.
Club Surprises and Disappointments
The survey also asked players to rate the sporting performance of the clubs. **Mainz 05** was overwhelmingly chosen as the positive surprise of the season, receiving a massive 49.5% of the votes. **SC Freiburg** (31.0%) and **Eintracht Frankfurt** (8.3%) were also seen as positive surprises by a notable number of players.
Conversely, **TSG Hoffenheim** was widely considered the negative surprise of the season by the Bundesliga professionals, with 48.1% selecting them. **RB Leipzig** (16.2%) and **VfL Wolfsburg** (11.1%) were also frequently mentioned among the season`s disappointments.
