The German Thomas Tuchel, coach of English Chelsea, has been recognized as the best coach of 2021 at The Best Awards gala FIFA in Zurich (Switzerland).
Tuchel, 48, has been chosen ahead of the Spanish Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and the Italian Roberto Mancini (Italy team), the other two finalist nominees.
The German coach, who signed for Chelsea at the end of January 2021, had a tremendous impact on the London team, who he lifted from the canvas and led him to win the maximum continental tournament after beating Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16, Porto in the quarterfinals, Real Madrid in the semifinals and City in the final.
What’s more, won the European Super Cup after beating Villarreal on penalties.
He was the first coach to be in the Champions League final two years in a row. Leading two different teams. In 2020 he lost to Paris Saint Germain.
Tuchel succeeds his compatriot Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), winner of the two previous editions and whom he relieved on the Borussia Dortmund bench in April 2015.
“I am so impressed that it even makes me uncomfortable to have won the award”Tuchel admitted in a videoconference after finishing training with Chelsea, who specified that he is “enjoying the trip” at the London club, where he has a “very competitive team”, although they have lost options to fight for the Premier against City.
On the other hand, the English Emma Hayes, also from Chelsea, has been chosen as the best women’s soccer coach of 2021. Hayes, 45, led the London team to win the English Super League for the fourth time, the League Cup and the Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona.
Chosen as the best coach of the Super League last season, the Londoner has outvoted the Spanish Lluis Cortés (Barcelona/Ukrainian national team) and the Dutch Sarina Wiegman (England/Netherlands), awarded in 2017 and 2020.
Hayes became the first coach to reach the final of the ‘Champions’ in the last twelve years. None had done it since Martina Voss-Tecklenburg in 2009, when she guided Duisburg to the title.
The English recognized that she was “absolutely surprised” and that she could not “believe” the award. “It is also a recognition of the work that my workers do and the brilliant people that surround me at Chelsea”, indicated the coach of the ‘blue’ team, who advanced that in England everyone is working hard for the success of the European Championship that will be held in the country in 2022.
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