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Pep Guardiola named 2023 Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Pep Guardiola has been awarded the 2023 Best FIFA Men’s Coach award for his exceptional leadership that guided Manchester City to a historic treble last season.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager orchestrated a stellar squad featuring stars like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, leading the Cityzens to triumph in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Guardiola faced tough competition for the award, with Inter’s Simone Inzaghi and Napoli’s Luciano Spalletti also in contention. Notably, Guardiola secured his place in history as the first coach to win two European trebles, previously achieving the feat with Barcelona in 2009.
Among the finalists were Xavi, the current Barcelona manager, and Ange Postecoglou, recognized for winning a domestic treble with Celtic before joining Tottenham Hotspur. This victory marks Guardiola’s first time clinching the prestigious prize, following his second-place finish in 2019 and third-place rankings in 2021 and 2022.
Guardiola’s win brings the trophy back to a club manager after Lionel Scaloni received the honor of guiding Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar. He joins the ranks of previous successful coaches, including Jurgen Klopp, Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Claudio Ranieri, and Thomas Tuchel.
The stellar performances of Guardiola’s Manchester City squad were also recognized, with Haaland, Messi, and Mbappe named as finalists for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award. Additionally, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva were shortlisted, and Ederson received a nomination for the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper. Despite a slower start to the current campaign, City remains in contention for both the Champions League and the Premier League title.
🚨🏆 OFFICIAL: Pep Guardiola has been named as The Best FIFA Men's Coach of 2023. pic.twitter.com/j0ZctPhul2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 15, 2024