Ronaldo, Girelli headline Juventus’ night at the Gran Gala del Calcio

Juventus had a big night at the Gran Gala del Calcio on Friday night.

The 10th annual celebration of the Italian game was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the awards covering the 2019-20 season have finally been given out, and Juve came out with the biggest awards, which were voted on by a panel of players, coaches, referees, and journalists.

The Player of the Year awards were both taken home by Juventus players, with Cristiano Ronaldo winning for the men and Cristiana Girelli on the women’s side.

Ronaldo scored 37 times in 46 games in all competitions for the men’s team, 31 of them coming in the league. He also turned in five assists in league play. Several of them were typically spectacular, including his gravity-defying header at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris against Sampdoria and his cannon shot in the same building against Genoa after the restart. The former was his own pick for his best of the year. His performance helped lead Juve to their ninth consecutive Serie A title.

Girelli scored 16 times in 16 games in the abbreviated Serie A season, ending the two-year reign of Valentina Giacinti as capocannoniere and leading the J Ladies to their third consecutive title. She also scored once in the Supercoppa Italiana.

photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Juve was well-represented in the best XIs of both leagues. The men had three players in the team of the season, more than any other. Ronaldo was joined by Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Bonucci. The women dominated the league’s best XI, with five other players—Lisa Boattin, Linda Sembrandt, Valentina Cernoia, Aurora Galli, and Laura Giuliani—joining Girelli.

Congratulations are in order for all of the honorees.