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Pepe deserved Euro 2016 best player award over Griezmann - Leboeuf

Former France international Frank Leboeuf thinks that Portugal defender Pepe could have been named best player of Euro 2016 ahead of Antoine Griezmann.

On Monday UEFA revealed that Griezmann, 25, was their player of the tournament after he finished as the top scorer with six goals for beaten finalists France.

The Atletico Madrid attacker had a slow start to the competition, however, and he was dropped to the bench for the hosts' second group game against Albania following a below-par display against Romania.

Leboeuf, 48, feels that Pepe, who helped his side win 1-0 in Sunday's final, or his Real Madrid club mate Gareth Bale, who was left off the official team of the tournament, could have been better candidates.

"I don't necessarily agree with the decision," Leboeuf told RMC.

"UEFA has always worked like that. The man of the match is always the player who scored the goal.

"You have Pepe, you have Gareth Bale who carried Wales. There were players who really showed their qualities.

"Pepe was good from the first to the last match -- unlike Griezmann who didn't play the second game.

"We asked questions about his positioning... In the final he had two chances and he didn't finish them. We didn't see him too much.

"I like Antoine Griezmann a lot but he's not the best player of the European Championships."