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Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, was awarded the title of best men’s coach at The Best FIFA Awards 2023 held in London.
Last season, Guardiola led City to the treble by winning the Champions League, in addition to their Premier League and FA Cup victories.
The shortlist included Simone Inzaghi, the manager of Inter Milan, Ange Postecoglou, former manager of Celtic and current manager of Tottenham, Luciano Spalletti, who led Napoli to the Serie A championship, and Xavi from Barcelona.
Guardiola expressed his desire to celebrate this trophy and moment with the owners of Manchester City.
I would like to express my gratitude to our players, as well as my backroom staff, for their contributions to this club over the past eight years. I am grateful for their unwavering dedication and commitment during this time.
“I am incredibly grateful for this journey because I experience the true meaning of starting each day with them and being in their presence, regardless of the outcome. It has been an amazing experience living with them.”
Sarina Wiegman, the leader of England’s team, received the award for best coach in women’s soccer for the second year in a row.
The female player from the Netherlands led England to the championship game of the World Cup in Australia, where they were defeated by Spain. They had also emerged victorious in the Euro 2022 tournament held in their own country.
Emma Hayes, the head coach of Chelsea, was among the finalists for the award along with Peter Gerhardsson of Sweden, Jonatan Giraldez of Barcelona, and Tony Gustavsson of Australia.
Seven members of England’s team, managed by Wiegman, were selected for the FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World XI. These players are goalkeeper Mary Earps, defenders Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood, and midfielders Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo, Lauren James, and Ella Toone.
Bronze, a defender for Barcelona, stated that the state of the women’s game is currently at its peak.
We demonstrated that following the World Cup, there are endless possibilities for women’s football.
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Each year, England, Spain, and the rest of the world see bigger and better tournaments, with each one improving upon the last.
“We are standing here as representatives of the World XI, but there are countless women out there who are playing football at the highest level and contributing to the growth of the sport.”
Earps, the goalkeeper for Manchester United, was quickly invited back to the stage to accept the award for best women’s goalkeeper for the second consecutive year.
“I received the award last year, but unfortunately did not make it onto the team of the year. This year, I thought the situation might be reversed,” she stated. “I am deeply grateful to all my coaches from England and United. I am truly amazed.”
I often discuss the challenges I faced on my journey to get here, as I took a longer and more winding path. However, in hindsight, everything falls into place and makes sense.
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This experience has greatly enhanced my readiness to tackle current challenges and reminded me not to take a single day for granted.
“Even if you face difficulties, don’t give up. It’s never too late to be yourself – 2023 proved that we can make a difference in the world by standing up against injustice, so let’s continue to do so.”
Aitana Bonmati, who helped lead Spain to victory in the World Cup, received the top honor for best women’s player. She beat out her fellow Spaniard 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 recognized as the best men’s player.
Erling Haaland, a striker for Manchester City, and French forward Kylian Mbappe were both nominated as finalists.
Source: independent.co.uk
