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.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on 2024 Ballon D’Or: Ancelotti and Emma Hayes win Coach of the Year awards.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes praised Lauren James after her standout performance against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, declaring that she has never seen a player capable of doing the things the 22-year-old can.

James, who was recently named in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11, showcased her quality by scoring two goals in the first half against her former club and sealing a 3-1 victory. Her versatility was evident, as she played a slightly deeper role and later led the line herself when American striker Sam Kerr was substituted early in the second half.

Hayes’ admiration for James reflects the player’s impact on the pitch and highlights her unique abilities that make her stand out in the world of women’s football.

“I was impressed with her whole performance,” Hayes said of James.

“She carried out the game plan and her role in that to perfection. It changed in the second half with Mia coming out and I think she did that equally as well. She’s shown her qualities as a ‘nine’ or a ‘ten’ and her finishing was second to none. The quality of that, the natural finisher that she is.”

Asked if James, long seen as one of English football’s brightest talents but now firmly coming into her own, had learned a thing or two from Sam Kerr about being a striker, Hayes replied: “I’m sure she has, but I’ve never seen a player like Lauren do the things she does individually.

“If you get tight to her, she’ll roll you, if you drop off her…next time she makes a move you think you’ve got her, she’s so explosive. She’s got a left and a right foot. That’s the thing. Often, you play against players and you know they’ve got strong sides. Lauren can do it on both feet.”

Hayes celebrated her first goal by gesturing to travelling United fans who had been giving her stick as one of their former heroes.

“I think she enjoyed that,” Hayes said. “I don’t mind these things in the women’s game. They want to give her stick, she scores and goes over to that section of the crowd. If you’re going to give someone stick, you’re going to get it in return, right?

“She was just quality. That was Lauren at her best today and she took responsibility in that area of the pitch in the way that the team needed. But I preface that but there were a lot of unbelievable performances, a real team effort, that allowed LJ to thrive.”

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on “I’ve never seen a player like Lauren James” – Emma Hayes.

The 47-year-old will lead Chelsea until the conclusion of the 2023–2024 campaign, at which point he will assume leadership of the team domestically. She takes over, replacing Vlatko Andonovski, who resigned as USWNT manager following the team’s dismal performance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Since taking over as Chelsea’s manager in 2012, Hayes has led the team to previously unheard-of levels of success. Under her direction, the Blues have won six WSL titles, including the past four in a row, and five Women’s FA Cups. Their most recent victory in the tournament came last season, when they defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley.

In addition, she won the title of Best FIFA Women’s Coach in 2021, was admitted into the WSL Hall of Fame the same year, and received an MBE and an OBE in recognition of her accomplishments.

With the USWNT’s elimination from the World Cup in the round of 16—their worst-ever showing at the competition—Hayes will now take on what is probably the toughest challenge in women’s football: elevating the team back to the top of the international scene.

“This is a huge honor to be given the opportunity to coach the most incredible team in world football history,” said Hayes.

“The feelings and connection I have for this team and for this country run deep. I’ve dreamed about coaching the USA for a long time so to get this opportunity is a dream come true. I know there is work to do to achieve our goals of winning consistently at the highest levels. To get there, it will require dedication, devotion and collaboration from the players, staff and everyone at the U.S. Soccer Federation.

“I understand how important this team is to the people and culture of the United States, not just the soccer community,” she continued. “I fully understand the place this team has in U.S. society. I’ve lived it. I remember being a young coach working my way up through the system in the U.S. and watching all those young girls aspire to play on the U.S. Women’s National Team. For me, the honor in building on that legacy is part of my motivation, no question.”

She’s headed Stateside 🇺🇸

U.S. Soccer has appointed Emma Hayes as the 10th full-time head coach in #USWNT history » https://t.co/sR7qfSnWVx

Welcome, Emma! pic.twitter.com/WYn6Sg9RmX

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 14, 2023

Hayes previously revealed how difficult it had been deciding to leave Chelsea for pastures new, particularly when it came to the telling players.

“I felt like I was abandoning my family. So, of course, my initial thoughts in these last few days were sadness but also pride,” she said. “It’s very unusual for a manager to be in one place the length of time I have. It’s more normal for the players to maybe change a little more often and probably most managers for that reason.

“Now I just feel so much pride for the club I represent, the team I represent, and I want to do everything possible to make sure we continue with the good work that’s been done in my time here.”

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Emma Hayes announced as new USWNT head coach.

Chelsea Women’s Manager Emma Hayes said she will need “time and patience” to recover fully following an emergency hysterectomy procedure.

The 45-year-old spent ten years leading Chelsea’s women’s team, making them one of the most prosperous squads in England and Europe.

Under her management, Chelsea have won a glut of trophies including five Women’s Super League titles – including successes in each of the last three seasons – and four FA Cups.

In her absence, Hayes’ assistants Denise Reddy and Paul Green will be in charge of first-team matters. The team will play Everton on Sunday.

A statement on Chelsea’s website read: ‘Last Tuesday I underwent an emergency hysterectomy following my ongoing battle with endometriosis. I’m now in recovery and will need time and patience to return to full health.

RELATED:

• Thierry Henry reveals why Timo Werner struggled at Chelsea
• Robert Green projects how many goals Aubameyang will score this year for Chelsea.
• Current update on Chelsea’s Reece James’ Injury Concerns

‘I just want to say thank you also to my amazing doctors, Dr Alex Laurence and Dr Sally Harris for their outstanding care. A huge thank you to our owners, the board and our HR director, Jo Stone, for the support they’ve shown and of course all of my family, staff and players.

‘Throughout my absence, Denise Reddy will be making the on-field decisions along with Paul Green who will be carrying out all press obligations on my behalf.

We have built a tremendous team over many years and we’ve adopted a very multi-disciplinary approach so that if situations like this arise, we are capable of being able to respond to the challenge. We have full confidence in Paul, Denise and all of the staff. We also know the team are very special and we have no doubt they’ll do everything to maintain their high standards.

‘To our fans, you’ve had to listen to me bellowing from the other side of the pitch every week but now I want to hear you even louder because I’ll be sitting at home watching the team on the television until my return.

‘I know you’ll respect that my health comes first and at this time I’ve got to prioritise what I need to do for me. I fully expect to make a full recovery and I look forward to seeing you in the foreseeable future.

‘All the best, Your Manager, Emma.’

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Emma Hayes announces recovery after undergoing emergency hysterectomy.