December 13, (THEWILL) – FIFA has announced the six managers, who have been named as finalists for both the Best FIFA Women’s Coach and Best FIFA Men’s Coach awards, with the ceremony taking place in London on January 15, 2024.
England Women manager, Sarina Wiegman and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola are among the names shortlisted for the prestigious honours.
Wiegman, who has already claimed the Women’s Coaching Award three times previously, has been shortlisted again after guiding England to the FIFA Women’s World Cup final last summer. The Lionesses ultimately finished as runners-up to Spain in Wiegman’s first major tournament with the team.
Up against Wiegman are two more familiar names: Chelsea’s Emma Hayes and Barcelona Femení’s Jonatan Giraldez. Hayes led Chelsea to yet another domestic double, whilst Giraldez spearheaded Barcelona’s remarkable UEFA Champions League and domestic triumphs last season.
Meanwhile, Guardiola is the favourite to finally claim the men’s award after leading Manchester City to the treble last term. Surprisingly, Guardiola has never finished higher than second place despite his domestic dominance in England. The Spaniard is pitted against Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti of Napoli this time around.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
