FIFA have released their shortlist for the coveted 'Best FIFA Men's Coach' award for 2016, with a number of strong contenders that may prove difficult to separate.
The Premier League is well represented in the 10 entries on the list, with Claudio Ranieri perhaps emerging as a favourite thanks to his fairy tale league win with Leicester last season.
Jurgen Klopp also makes the cut, after joining Liverpool last season and helping them to reach the final of the Europea League. Mauricio Pochettino, another manager based in England, is also named for his work in taking Tottenham so close to the title.
After a historic win at Euro 2016, Portugal's Fernando Santos is named on the shortlist, while Chris Coleman earns a nomination for guiding Wales to the semi-finals of that tournament.
Pep Guardiola makes the list for his final season at Bayern Munich, while the coaches in charge at La Liga's top clubs are all recognised in Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane and Diego Simeone.
The list in full is:
- Chris Coleman (Wales/Welsh national team)
- Didier Deschamps (France/French national team)
- Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Bayern Munich/Manchester City)
- Jürgen Klopp (Germany/Liverpool)
- Luis Enrique Martínez (Spain/FC Barcelona)
- Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina/Tottenham Hotspur)
- Claudio Ranieri (Italy/Leicester City)
- Fernando Santos (Portugal/Portuguese national team)
- Diego Pablo Simeone (Argentina/Atlético Madrid)
- Zinédine Zidane (France/Real Madrid)
The winner of award will be determined through a voting process which combines the choices of those involved in the game, as well as a public vote.
FIFA names their shortlist for Manager of the Year - but who gets your vote? https://t.co/YqWjpZwCU0
— Newstalk Sport (@NewstalkSport) November 2, 2016
50% of the decision will be based on the choices of all captains and head coaches of national teams around the globe, while the other half of the vote will be split between the result of an online public ballot and submissions from a group of over 200 media representatives from the six continents.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
