How Lluís Cortés was voted as UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year 2 mi020/21. The Spanish coach, who led FC Barcelona to an impressive UEFA Women’s Champions League title last season, collected a total of 151 points in a special poll featuring coaches and journalists. Chelsea FC Women coach Emma Hayes from England came second with 78 points, while Sweden’s women’s national team coach Peter Gerhardsson was third with 37 points.
The jury was composed of the coaches of the clubs that participated in the round of 16 of the 2020/21 UEFA Women’s Champions League, together with the coaches of the 12 highest-ranked teams in the latest UEFA women’s national team rankings. Twenty journalists specialising in women’s football and selected by the ESM group were also part of the jury.
In a video-recorded message, 35-year-old Cortés said:
“Hello, everyone. It’s a shame that I can’t be with you in Istanbul on this special day, but I’d like to thank UEFA and all the members of the jury who thought that I deserved this award. It is an honour and a pleasure. I’ve been working in women’s football for many years, and I am very happy to receive this recognition.
“Of course, my thanks also go to FC Barcelona, from the board to the club’s staff, players, and personnel, because none of this would’ve been possible without them. Finally, I’d like to wish the rest of the teams all the best for next season, which I am sure will be a very, very good one.”
The UEFA Player and Coach of the Year awards recognise the best players and coaches, irrespective of their nationality, who have played for a football team or have coached a football team within the territory of a UEFA member national association. The awards are based on players’ and coaches’ performances during the 2020/21 season in all competitions, both domestic and international, and at club and national team levels.
