FC Barcelona manager Luis Enrique is hot favorite to trump Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Chile Manager Jorge Sampaoli for the award that is given to the best manager in the world for the calendar year.
Barcelona’s famous treble triumph has not only led to two of the their front three men nominated for the final three in Balon d’Or, but, manager Luis Enrique is hot favorite to win the Coach of the Year award from FIFA.
Standing in his way will be German League champions Bayern Munich’s manager Pep Guardiola, Enrique’s former team mate at FC Barcelona. Enrique will face the stiffest challenge from Jorge Sampaoli, who guided Chile to Copa America winners medal in the summer.
Question mark will be raised over the inclusion of Guardiola in the shortlist at the expense of Massimiliano Allegri, who nearly took Juventus to a famous treble, only to lose out to FC Barcelona in the finale of the UEFA Champion’s League.
.
One argument in favor of Guardiola is that Allegri’s Juventus have had a poor start to the new campaign, while Bayern have continued to demonstrate the same attractive and winning brand of football that Pep Guardiola is associated with.
Disastrous start to Chelsea FC seasob rules Jose Mourinho out
Another outsider for the award was Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho, who’s chances pretty much evaporated with the dismal showing by the Blues this season, after having won the league in convincing fashion last season.
Luis Enrique should win the award, with Sampaoli the only real challenger to the treble winner, having convincingly held Lionel Messi & co. in the Copa America final.
Last year’s winner Joachim Low has not been nominated, having won the award following the 2014 World Cup triumph of the German National side.