Alvalade winger wins 2015 nomination

Alex Merlim has been named Italian futsal's Player of the Year for 2015, in a vote through the Italian Football Federation's Vivo Azzurro website.

The Sporting winger tallied 40% of voted cast, beating the Acqua&Sapone goalkeeper Stefano Mammarella by 2%. The 2014 winner, El Pozo Murcia's Gabriel Lima, finished in third with 12% of the vote.

Alex Merlim signed in at Alvalade this season from Luparense, where he won two Italian Championships, an Italian Cup and a Super Cup. For Italy the 29-year old winger won the European Championships in 2014, after finishing third in the 2012 World Cup hosted in Thailand.

Costa Rican finishes close second in Player of the Week nominations

Bryan Ruiz finished a close second in the Europa League Player of the Week nominations this week, after his brilliant performance against Besiktas which saw him score Sporting's second in a 3-1 win.

Ruiz talled 43% of the vote to finish behind Fenerbahçe captain Gökhan Gönül.

Also in the running for the award and all finishing with 1% of the vote were Erik Lamela (Tottenham), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (B. Dortmund), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Choupo-Moting (Schalke 04), as well as Piotr Trochowski (Augsburg) and Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) with 0%.

Alvalade athlete claims award after New York Marathon showing

Sara Moreira once again scooped the European Athletics Association's Athlete of the Month award in November, after finishing 4th in the New York Marathon with her second best ever time over the distance.

Also named were Fionnuala McCormack, Diana Martín, Sifan Hassan and Gemma Steel.

Colombian named Europa League Player of the Week

Fredy Montero has been named as the Europa League Player of the Week for his fantastic showing in Sporting's 4-2 win against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Setting up both Bryan Ruiz and Gelson Martins, as well as scoring goal of his own, the Colombian received 31% of voted cast on the UEFA Official Website.

The other players in the running for the nomination were Cenk Tosun (Besiktas), Fernandão (Fenerbahçe), Oumaru (Anderlecht), Benteke (Liverpool), Aduriz (Athl. Bilbao), Sané (Schalke 04) and Bernardeschi (Fiorentina).

Alvalade attacking duo named after clinical showing in Russia

Gelson Martins and Montero both feature in the UEFA Team of the Week for Europa League Matchday 5, after helping Sporting to a 4-2 win against Lokomotiv Moscow.

The Colombian also scooped the Player of the Week award for his goal and two assists in the Russian capital.

Team of the Week in full:

Goalkeeper: Dykan (Krasnodar)

Defenders: Brabec (Sparta Prague), Chriches (Napoli) and Mbodji (Anderlecht)

Midfielders: Gelson Martins (Sporting), Sané (Schalke 04), Candreva (Lazio) and Bernardeschi (Fiorentina)

Forwards: Fredy Montero (Sporting), Aduriz (Athl. Bilbao) and Tosun (Besiktas)