Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has been voted The Best FIFA Women’s Coach for 2021 at tonight’s Best FIFA Football Awards.
The 45-year-old made the final three-coach shortlist for the award alongside former FC Barcelona head coach Lluís Cortés and England boss Sarina Wiegman and she went on to win the accolade by a three-point margin. The voting saw Hayes collect 22 points while Cortés ended the voting on 19. England boss Wiegman was third with 14 voting points. Bev Priestman (Canada) and Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden) finished in fourth and fifth respectively.
News of Hayes’ award win was announced during a live broadcast of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 earlier this evening.
The award comes a little over a month after Hayes completed the domestic quadruple with Chelsea. The Blues won the FA Women’s Community Shield in August 2020 while the year 2021 saw them retain the FA Women’s Continental League Cup and Barclays FA Women’s Super League title and win back the Vitality Women’s FA Cup. Chelsea and Hayes also reached a first-ever UEFA Women’s Champions League final but they were beaten by FC Barcelona in Gothenburg in May.
Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was also up for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award but finished third behind Christiane Endler (winner) and Stephanie Labbé (runner-up) while Sam Kerr was beaten to The Best FIFA Women’s Player award by FC Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas who was the overwhelming winner.
Hayes’ award win ensured that Chelsea ended 2021 with the two best coaches in world football. Men’s team head coach Thomas Tuchel also picked up The Best FIFA Men’s Coach award for 2021.
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