Leicester City’s manager Claudio Ranieri was voted the Best FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year yesterday on Monday beating Portugal’s Fernando Santos and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane to the award.
Ranieri had an incredible campaign last season beating the odds of 5,000-1 to win the Premier League title. The 65-year-old manager conceded the fewest Premier League goals (36) during the campaign and also set the record for shortest time between appointment and winning the league, in 294 days in the process.
Ranieri has also over seen the clubs first ever start to the champions League this season making it through the group stages despite the problems they are facing in the league back home.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”I feel very honoured to have won. It is a tribute to all of Leicester City,”[/perfectpullquote]
“To have achieved what we did last season is still an incredible thing and it still makes me very emotional.” The Italian international said.
Congratulations, Claudio Ranieri!
Winner of #TheBest FIFA Men's Coach 2016 🏆https://t.co/LO8lWBKxpn pic.twitter.com/8czujwPzIz— FIFA (@FIFAcom) January 9, 2017
“The whole club has been fantastic in the way that it has supported me in my work, which has enabled me to win this award. Without them none of this would be possible.”
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”We can all be proud of our achievements at Leicester City and I’m positive that there is more to come from this magnificent club.”[/perfectpullquote]
he added.
The award was based on votes from captains and head coaches of national teams around the globe and an online public ballot with football fans and submissions from a selected group of over 200 media representatives.
Ranieri beat strong competition from Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane, who won his side their 11th UEFA Champions League title in his first season as manager breaking the clubs longest unbeaten run in the process and Portugal’s Head Coach Fernando Santos who won his side their first European Championship, losing only one game since October 2014.
Silvia Neid was named the Best Women’s Coach Award after her incredible Germany side won the Olympics gold medal. This is her third women Coach of the year award after winning it in 2010 and 2013.
Featured Photo: Courtesy of Sky Sports
