UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year nominees released

The UEFA Coach of the Year award nominees have been confirmed, with Pep Guardiola, Luciano Spalletti, and Simeone Inzaghi on the final shortlist.

The winner will be announced at the 2023/24 Champions League group stage draw ceremony on August 31 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. 

Guardiola masterminded Manchester City’s triumphal journey to the treble as they captured the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup titles. This feat has positioned him as a formidable contender. 

Former Napoli head coach Luciano Spalletti steered the Partenopei to their first Serie A title in 33 years, etching his name into Naples folklore.

Simone Inzaghi makes the shortlist after guiding Inter Milan to the Champions League final. They also won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.

The shortlist, initially curated by the UEFA technical study group, was whittled down to a trio of finalists. 

A select jury composed of coaches from clubs that graced the 2022/23 Champions League group stages, the Europa League, and the Europa Conference League, alongside the coaches of UEFA’s member nation men’s national teams, had the honour of casting their votes.

Another panel of journalists curated by the European Sports Media (ESM) also voted.

They collectively sifted through the glittering accomplishments of Guardiola, Spalletti and Inzaghi to determine the top coach.

Votes were tallied, each point carrying its weight in anticipation, with coaches and journalists assigning five, three, and one points to their favoured candidates. However, coaches cannot vote for themselves.

Other coaches that received votes for the award include:

• Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton & Hove Albion)
• Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
• Zlatko Dalic (Croatia)
• Jose Luis Mendilibar (Sevilla)
• Didier Deschamps (France)
• David Moyes (West Ham United)
• Franck Haise (Lens)