The best players in the open division in 2025!
November 7, 2025 by Sean Colfer in Awards
With the EUCS now in its second year with the revamped structure, teams and players had some more familiarity with the shape of the season, allowing units to better tweak their plans and assert their dominance on the field. Who rose above the pack and stood out this season? Here are your winners in the 2025 European Player of the Year awards.
Player of the Year
Daan De Marrée (Mooncatchers)
Daan De Marrée has firmly grasped the mantle of best player in Europe and becomes the first three-time player of the year in Ultiworld’s European awards. There is very little point in listing the things that De Marrée brings to the field, partly because everyone in Europe1 knows who he is but mainly because there’s not much he can’t do. The main thing that drives his teams forward, though, is his ability to play at an exceptionally high level for longer than almost anyone else on the planet. The question with De Marrée isn’t so much whether he is the best player in Europe at the moment, and more if he is the best player full stop.
First Runner-Up
Conrad Schlör (Wall City)
Schlör was one of the central pieces in Wall City finally breaking through their quarter-final ceiling and reaching their first-ever EUCF final. His ability on defense has long been known on both sides of the Atlantic, but his all-around game is what pushed the Berlin team forward this year. His performances at the World Games, where he was the best player on show, doesn’t hurt him here either.
Second Runner-Up
Paul Herkens (Wall City)
Herkens was one of the best players on a very good Wall City team last year, playing very well and helming the defense after the turn. This season he took a major step forward, becoming an All-World defender who thrived on the World Games stage and a constant source of blocks and offense for Wall City as they reached the EUCF final. Herkens and Schlör played together plenty this season and their connection might have been the most deadly on the continent.
Offensive Player of the Year
Conrad Schlör (Wall City)
When Wall City needed someone to make a play, Schlör invariably stepped up. He was the second-leading assister on the team2 and top goalscorer by a comfortable distance. Only three people in the division bettered his 32 goal involvements, and outside of the statistics the sight of him going deep at full speed with one of Wall City’s stronger throwers on the disc was the most terrifying for defenses all tournament. When Clapham increased the pressure in the second half to try and get back into the semi-final, Schlör was the one his team turned to. Two goals and two assists helped push the Berliners into their first EUCF final, where he turned in a towering 3A/5G effort. His performances this season cemented his position as a true two-way superstar.
First Runner-Up
Ondřej Rýdlo (Wall City)
Rýdlo has been on the scene for some time, playing for Czech teams and moving to Wall City last year. His ability has been well documented, finishing as runner-up for breakout player3 in 2019 and he performed very well for a lively Czech team at EUC in 2023, pushing eventual bronze-medallists Germany hard in quarters4. This season, though, he elevated into another tier. Seemingly more comfortable with his teammates after bedding in last year, Rýdlo catching a big under and shooting deep5 was a common sight that was so unstoppable and effective it drove his team all the way to the final.
Second Runner-Up
David Barzasi (Mooncatchers)
We’ve known for years that David Barzasi is one of the best players in Europe. He was clearly able to make plays that very few players in the world can make, but La Fotta’s system of handler-driven offense didn’t always feature him. He was unleashed for Italy mixed in 2023 and led them to the final, so we had seem glimpses of what he could do, but in the Mooncatchers offense he reached new heights. Playing with a star-studded lineup, he stood out as one of the most critical parts of a team that competed in the US and won its second straight European title.
Defensive Player of the Year
Paul Herkens (Wall City)
We’ve already discussed the breakout performance that Herkens turned in all year, but it bears repeating that he was the one of the most impactful defenders at both EUCF and at the World Games. He generated turns with huge layout blocks, towering skies and by making defenders second-guess the space they thought they had when, at that split second just before releasing the throw, they saw number 21 in the area. Herkens goes into 2026 as one to watch at WUCC as he continues to make his name at the elite level.
First Runner-Up
Alexander Spahlholz (Mooncatchers)
Spahlholz grew into his role with the Mooncatchers D line and became extremely important by the time the games really mattered. He was one of the few D line players to see consistent minutes in crucial moments when Mooncatchers played their all-World crossover players more frequently, and always delivered what they needed. Tall, aggressive and a strong puller, the Austrian was a critical part of the EUCF-winning defensive unit.
Second Runner-Up
Henry Brooking (Clapham)
Brooking built on his first season with Clapham last year and became a key defender for the Londoners. His speed means he’s able to cover basically anybody, but his ability to stop on a dime and change direction at full speed meant he was one of the very best handler marks in Europe come EUCF.
Breakout Player of the Year
Jelte Derks (GRUT)
Derks joined the GRUT roster last season following the shift to open and women’s teams. He also played for the Dutch under-20 team last season, and was a good deep cutter for both teams. This season, he continued his development and became one of the most effective deep cutters in Europe. His 30 goals were 11 more than anyone else in the division6 at EUCF, but he wasn’t a one-tournament wonder. Derks will be a key part of GRUT’s team going forward if no other part of his game ever develops further, but if he is able to expand his skill set it’s unclear where his ceiling could be.
First Runner-Up
Matteo Mancinelli (BFD La Fotta)
Mancinelli is another who has been around for a few years but who took a step forward in how much he meant to his team this season. A handler who thrives in short spaces, Mancinelli has the ability to control points and keep the disc moving more quickly than the defense can handle. He also performed excellently for Italy under-24 in Spain, and will undoubtedly be part of deep La Fotta runs at EUCF for years to come.
Second Runner-Up
Edoardo Fabbri (Cotarica Grandes)
Fabbri, Mancinelli’s teammate for Italy under-24 this summer, can play as a central handler if required. He played there for Cotarica at EUCF and drove their offense to a surprise quarter-final berth. He can also play downfield more, as he did for Italy, and take shots downfield after catching unders first. He’s extremely versatile offensively already and is improving every year along with several of his teammates, particularly Samuele Ruscello who was also close to making the podium7.
And realistically now, the Ultimate-playing world. ↩
More to come on that one… ↩
To the player he finishes just ahead of in these awards! ↩
Despite a finger injury for Rýdlo that limited him for parts of that tournament. ↩
He led Wall City with 17 assists, one more than Schlör. ↩
Daan De Marrée finishing second in this list. ↩
And Matteo Paradisi, who finished second in this award several years ago and so isn’t really eligible again. ↩
