Ronaldo snubbed as Dybala wins Serie A Player of the Year

Paulo Dybala has pipped Juventus team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo to this season’s Serie A Player of the Year award.

Dybala was announced as the winner of the annual prize on Tuesday, with Ronaldo failing to retain the title he won in his first year at the Allianz Stadium.

Lega Serie A named the Argentina international as the 2019-20 ‘MVP’, with Juve’s newest signing Dejan Kulusevski grabbing the Young Player of the Year prize for an outstanding campaign on loan at Parma.

Juventus no 1 Wojciech Szczesny got the nod for best goalkeeper, while Inter’s Stefan De Vrij, Atalanta playmaker Papu Gomez and Lazio striker Ciro Immobile were acknowledged in defensive, midfield and forward roles.

Dybala scored 11 goals in 33 Serie A outings for Juve this term, along with 11 assists, bouncing back strongly after a testing final year under Massimiliano Allegri.

The 26-year-old struggled to adapt to a new role in the team following Ronaldo’s arrival at the Allianz Stadium from Real Madrid in 2018, but has rediscovered his best form since Maurizio Sarri’s appointment last summer.

The diminutive playmaker’s performances helped Juve secure an unprecedented ninth successive Scudetto, as Sarri’s men narrowly finished one point ahead of Inter.