The Best FIFA Women’s Coach award is given to the most outstanding coach in women’s football, as determined by an international jury comprised of current coaches of all women’s national teams (one per team), current captains of all women’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team, and FIFA.com fans.
This year’s FIFA coach awards have been a hot topic on social media, with some fans surprised that Bev Priestman did not receive a nomination. The former Lionesses assistant manager led Canada to Olympic gold medal success in Tokyo. Following Barcelona’s trophy-winning successes in Spain and the Champions League, Cortez was seen as a possible favourite. Last season, the team won 43 of its 47 games across all competitions, losing only twice.
Winner 2021: Emma Hayes
The 45-year-old was named to the final three-coach shortlist for the award, alongside former FC Barcelona head coach Llus Cortés and England manager Sarina Wiegman, and she went on to win by a three-point margin. Hayes received 22 points in the voting, while Cortés received 19. England manager Wiegman finished third with 14 votes. Bev Priestman of Canada and Peter Gerhardsson of Sweden came in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Hayes’ award win was announced earlier this evening during a live broadcast of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021.
Hayes won the award just over a month after completing the domestic quadruple with Chelsea. The Blues won the FA Women’s Community Shield in August 2020, and they retained the FA Women’s Continental League Cup, the Barclays FA Women’s Super League title, and the Vitality Women’s FA Cup in 2021. Chelsea and Hayes also advanced to the inaugural UEFA Women’s Champions League final but were defeated by FC Barcelona in Gothenburg in May.
Hayes’ Chelsea won the 2020/21 Women’s Super League as well as reaching the Champions League final for the first time, and they also won the FA Cup last month.
Emma Hayes on Winning the Award:
“Oh my goodness, I’m so shocked!” Hayes said via a video call at FIFA’s ceremony in Zurich. “Honestly, I’m not usually stunned, but I’m completely shocked. “I put it down to the players, the fantastic people that represent my work, and ultimately the coach is only as good as the people they have around them and I have brilliant people at Chelsea. I’m absolutely shocked right now.”
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Hayes is only the fifth different winner of the FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year award. Silvia Neid was the first recipient of the award after it was renamed in 2016, and it has since been claimed by Reynald Pedros and Jill Ellis. Current England manager Wiegman won the 2017 and 2020 awards, but Hayes won her third this year. Hayes’ award ensured that Chelsea finished 2021 with the two best coaches in the world. Men’s team head coach Thomas Tuchel was also named Best FIFA Men’s Coach for 2021.
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