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Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes win Coach of the Year awards at Ballon d’Or 2024
Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes made history at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, becoming the first recipients of the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year awards.
Ancelotti earned the accolade after a stellar season with Real Madrid, where he led the club to a La Liga title and his record fifth UEFA Champions League victory.
However, neither he nor the Real Madrid delegation attended the ceremony, reportedly due to dissatisfaction over the Ballon d’Or result, as Manchester City’s Rodri was awarded the prestigious trophy instead of Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.
Emma Hayes, now leading the United States Women’s National Team, accepted her award via video. Her remarkable run with Chelsea, where she clinched the Women’s Super League title in a tight race against Manchester City, coupled with her success in guiding the USWNT to Olympic gold in Paris, solidified her standing as a premier coach.
Her achievements with Chelsea were built upon by her successor, Sonia Bompastor, who was also nominated following her work with Lyon. Other nominees included Jonatan Giraldez of Barcelona, Sarina Wiegmann of England, and Brazil’s Arthur Elias.
Ancelotti’s win was particularly significant as he overcame stiff competition from top names, including Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.