Ranking the 5 Best FIFA Men's coach 2021 nominees
The Best FIFA Football Award is an annual award presented by the game's governing body FIFA for both male and female players, and coaches. Introduced only in 2017, it's a fairly recent award.
One of the award categories - Best FIFA men's coach - has been won by four different men. Claudio Ranieri was the award's inaugural recipient after leading Leicester City to an improbable Premier League triumph in 2016. Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps and most recently Jurgen Klopp (twice) have won the prestigious accolade.
Klopp won't be able to do a three-peat, as he's not among the nominees for this year's Best FIFA men's coach award. However, this year's contenders consist of multiple league and international continental competition winners.
🏆 Nominees: #TheBest FIFA Men's Coach
Antonio Conte
Hansi Flick
Pep Guardiola
Roberto Mancini
Lionel Sebastián Scaloni
Diego Simeone
Thomas Tuchel
🗳 VOTE NOW 👉 fifa.com/the-best-fifa-… https://t.co/qWii8WrhC3
On that note, here's a look at the top five contenders for this year's Best FIFA men's coach award. Antonio Conte, who ended Inter Milan's decade-long Serie A drought last season and Atletico Madrid's two-time La Liga-winning manager Diego Simeone narrowly miss out.
So without further ado, let's get started:
#5 Hansi Flick (Germany/former Bayern Munich manager)
Hansi Flick is one of the best managers in the game at the moment. He had a stellar two-year spell in charge of Bayern Munich.
Having led the Bavarian giants to their second continental treble in 2019-20, he signed off with another Bundesliga title last season. He is now in charge of the German national team, taking over from the long-serving Joachim Low.
Flick has made a seamless transition from club-football management to the international game. Assuming the reins of the team after Euro 2020, Low's Germany won six consecutive games under their new manager. In the process, they became one of the first teams to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
6 - Hansi Flick is the first manager to win his first six games in charge of the German national team. Winner. #GERLIE https://t.co/5AZFim8fDd
Although these are early days into life in international management, Flick has made a blistering start, like he did at Bayern two years ago. It remains to be seen if his exploits would be enough to land him the Best FIFA men's coach award this year.
#4 Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Lionel Scaloni is one of the most underrated managers in the game at the moment. Nevertheless, the 43-year-old has done a fabulous job in charge of Argentina, who have flattered to deceive at major tournaments.
Scaloni's Argentina are no longer Lionel Messi and ten other players, unlike the case with previous Albiceleste managers.
After assuming permanent reins of the team following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Scaloni has transformed Argentina's fortunes. The Albiceleste, led from the front by Messi, are one of the most formidable teams in the game, with quality in every position.
The Best FIFA men's coach 2021 contender ended Argentina's near three-decade-long trophy drought at Copa America 2021.
Lionel Scaloni : A journey from losing to India U-20🇮🇳 to winning Copa America for Argentina🇦🇷
#CopaAmericaFINAL #CopaAmerica2021 #LionelMessi #IndianFootball https://t.co/jMZaKOzHGk
Scaloni's men recently qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022, and haven't lost a competitive game in over two years. Considering the transformation he has brought about in the team's fortunes, Scaloni would be a deserving winner of the Best FIFA men's coach award this year.