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In London, Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, was announced as the recipient of the Best Men’s Coach award at The Best FIFA Awards 2023.
Last season, Guardiola led City to a treble by winning the Champions League in addition to their victories in the Premier League and FA Cup.
Simone Inzaghi, manager of Inter Milan, Ange Postecoglou, former Celtic manager and current Tottenham coach, Luciano Spalletti, who led Napoli to the Serie A championship, and Xavi from Barcelona were all considered for the position.
Guardiola expressed his desire to celebrate this trophy and moment with the Manchester City owners.
“As a representative of my team and myself, I would like to express my gratitude to our players for their contributions to this club over the past eight years. We are grateful for each and every one of them.”
“I am extremely grateful for this amazing experience, as it has taught me the true value of waking up every morning and spending time with these individuals. Whether we win or lose, the experience of living among them has been truly incredible.”
For the second year in a row, Sarina Wiegman, the coach of England’s national team, was recognized as the best women’s coach.
The female player from the Netherlands led England to the championship game of the World Cup in Australia, but they were defeated by Spain. Prior to that, they had also emerged victorious in Euro 2022, which was held in their home country.
The list of candidates for head coach of Chelsea included Emma Hayes, Peter Gerhardsson from Sweden, Jonatan Giraldez from Barcelona, and Tony Gustavsson from Australia.
Seven players from Wiegman’s England team were selected for the FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World XI. These players include goalkeeper Mary Earps, defenders Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood, as well as Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo, Lauren James, and Ella Toone.
Bronze, a defender for Barcelona, stated that the women’s game is currently at its highest level.
“We demonstrated that women’s football has limitless potential, especially after the World Cup.”
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Each year, the tournaments in England, Spain, and globally continue to improve and surpass their previous iterations.
“We are currently representing the World XI team, but there are countless women playing football at the highest level, who have contributed to the growth of the game as we know it today.”
For the second consecutive year, Earps, the goalkeeper for Manchester United, was summoned to the stage to receive the award for best women’s goalkeeper.
“I was awarded last year, but was not selected for the team of the year – this year, I had expected the opposite,” she stated. “I am incredibly grateful to all my coaches from England and United. This achievement has left me speechless.”
I often discuss how my path to get here was not simple, I took a longer route, but in hindsight, it all falls into place.
This experience has better equipped me for the obstacles I encounter in my present life and taught me to appreciate each day.
“Don’t give up if you’re facing challenges. It’s never too late to embrace your true self – the year 2023 proved that speaking out against injustice can make a difference in the world, so let’s continue to do so.”
Aitana Bonmati, a World Cup champion from Spain, was awarded the top honor for women’s players. She beat out her compatriot Jenni Hermoso and 18-year-old Colombian forward Linda Caicedo from Real Madrid.
Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, has once again been named the best men’s player.
Erling Haaland, striker for Manchester City, and French forward Kylian Mbappe were among the nominees for the award.
Source: independent.co.uk
