NEUER NAMED GERMAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR 
Cologne -
For the second time in his career, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been chosen as Germany's Footballer of the Year, while the man who masterminded the Nationalmannschaft's 2014 FIFA World Cup triumph,
Joachim Low, has received the Coach of the Year award for the first time.In a poll conducted by Germany's preeminent football magazine kicker,
sports journalists voted the FC Bayern Munchen custodian as the winner of the 55th annual award,
receiving 144 of the total 701 votes.
'An honour' "This award is an honour for me," Neuer told kicker. "I'm really suprised, although obviously aware that I put in some good performances.
The fact though, that we won the World Cup this year gives the award added significance for me."
Four of Neuer's Bayern team-mates joined him in the top ten, the closest being Thomas Muller, in third place.
Arjen Robben followed him in fourth place, while Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Neuer only just beat off the challenge of Marco Reus, who came second after picking up 135 of the votes despite missing the World Cup through injury.'A special moment' Their coach with the Nationalmannschaft, Low, also described it as a "great honour", to the magazine.
"It's a special moment in my career as a coach, but it's also important to highlight that this is an award for every single coach in German football.
I'm accepting this award on behalf of all of them."
The 54-year-old's 248 votes put him almost a hundred votes clear of the FC Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl, who took second place with 152.
He was voted in ahead of FC Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who took third place with 89 votes, having won a domestic double in his first season in charge of the Bavarian giants.
http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2014/0000299099.php
