MVP for every club in the Bundesliga this season
With an exciting Bundesliga campaign coming to an end Saturday, theScore has compiled a list of each club's most valuable player, recognizing both Germany's biggest stars and its unsung heroes.
Bayern Munich - Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara provided the foundation for yet another triumphant Bundesliga season for Bayern Munich. The Spaniard's ability to dictate play in the middle of the park, as well as his presence in the first team on a regular basis after an injury-plagued start to life at Bayern, proved critical during a season in which Germany's perpetual champion cruised to another title.
RB Leipzig - Emil Forsberg
There won't be a shortage of teams lining up to pry away RB Leipzig's most valuable assets once the summer transfer window opens. But, of all the talented players who've propelled the club into a shocking second-place finish, Emil Forsberg is expected to attract the most attention in a transfer market where his vision and impact in front of goal will be in high demand.
Borussia Dortmund - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Borussia Dortmund will have its hands full fending off Europe's elite after the season Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put together. As the club is forced to deal with the public uncertainty over Thomas Tuchel's future as manager, Dortmund is expected to engage in another struggle to retain the Gabon international, who will undoubtedly attract plenty of attention after leading the Bundesliga in scoring.
Hoffenheim - Andrej Kramaric
A year after flirting with relegation, Hoffenheim will end the 2016-17 campaign with a chance to compete in the Champions League next season after settling in fourth place in the standings. Along with the impact of manager Julian Nagglesmann, Andrej Kramaric has been instrumental in the club's resurgence, with his 15 goals and eight assists playing a major role in helping Hoffenheim almost double its point total from last season.
FC Koln - Anthony Modeste
FC Koln has every right to be encouraged about putting up a fight in Europe next season if Anthony Modeste is leading the attack. The French striker easily surpassed his scoring output (23) from the last two seasons, with 25 goals for a club that qualified for a place in the Europa League on the final day.
Hertha Berlin - Vedad Ibisevic
Saloman Kalou grabbed the headlines in the opening months, but it's been the steady influence of captain Vedad Ibisevic that's helped Hertha Berlin produce another top-seven finish.
Freiburg - Vincenzo Grifo
SC Freiburg exceeded expectations as just missed out on joining RB Leipzig as the second promoted side to qualify for a place in Europe next season. Italian midfielder Vincenzo Grifo's impact has been tremendous, applying a healthy blend of offensive aggressiveness and leadership in the middle of the park.
Werder Bremen - Max Kruse
Picking the ball out of the back of the net has been a major issue throughout Werder Bremen's campaign. But the club remained in contention for a European berth in large part due to the scoring output of Max Kruse (14 goals), as well as Serge Gnabry (11).
Borussia Monchengladbach - Lars Stindl
Borussia Monchengladbach's frustrating season was made a little more bearable by the impressive play of Lars Stindl, whose successful campaign paved the way for a new contract designed to keep him tied to the Foals until 2021.
Schalke 04 - Sead Kolasinac
It's been a season to forget for FC Schalke 04. The summer might not be much better as the Royal Blues look set to lose standout defender Sead Kolasinac, who has reportedly agreed to join the Premier League with Arsenal.
Eintracht Frankfurt - Marco Fabian
Eintracht Frankfurt's woes over the last month can, in part, be tied to Marco Fabian's dip in form. However, there's still silverware to play for as Eintracht gets set to compete in the DFB Pokal Cup final against Borussia Dortmund later this month.
Bayer Leverkusen - Hakan Calhanoglu
Hakan Calhanoglu probably wouldn't make this list if his impact on Bayer Leverkusen wasn't highlighted by the club's poor form in the wake of his suspension in January. The club couldn't cope without the Turkish international, as following his ban for the remainder of the season, Leverkusen only managed to collect 14 points over its next 15 games heading into the final matchday.
Augsburg - Halil Altintop
Outside of leading scorer Halil Altintop, identifying positive features of FC Augsburg's season is difficult during a campaign in which the Bavarian side will finish well short of expectations that were set after a somewhat successful 2015-16 campaign.
Hamburg SV - Kyriakos Papadopoulos
Hamburger SV defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos is sure to attract some interest this summer after putting together a solid season while on loan for one of the Bundesliga's poorest teams.
Mainz 05 - Alexander Hack
European commitments this term proved to be overwhelming for a Mainz squad in the midst of a battle to avoid relegation. The team can thank the defensive duo of Alexander Hack and Stefan Bell for their work earlier in the season that helped Mainz narrowly avoid relegation.
Wolfsburg - Mario Gomez
Veteran forward Mario Gomez has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for a VfL Wolfsburg team that is forced to compete in a play-off to avoid relegation after falling to Hamburg on the final day of the season.
Ingolstadt - Dario Lezcano
A season after producing a stunning mid-table finish, Ingolstadt's time in the top tier will come to a close. However, Dario Lezcano should help the club during its effort to win promotion next year.
Darmstadt - Antonio-Mirko Colak
The league's worst team, Darmstadt could struggle to bounce back up to the top flight unless the club manages to retain Antonio-Mirko Colak, on loan from Hoffenheim, and develop him into a forward capable of guiding it back to the Bundesliga.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)