Jan
13
IFFHS Best Club Managers of 2009
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This won’t come as much of a surprise, but Barcelona manger Pep Guardiola has been named by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) as best club coach of 2009. He not only helped Barca to a Champions League crown but also to every single title they competed for last season, delivering one of the most successful seasons in football history for a single club. Few could have predicted such acolytes when the 38 year old manager took over, but he has cemented his name in history.
In second place comes Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, which is another good decision. Yes, Christiano Ronaldo was United’s main formula of success, getting them to two consecutive Champions League finals, and many predicted the club would struggle after he left. While it is true that United have not looked the same and none of the few new players have managed to really step up to the plate, Sir Alex has coped rather well with the major loss. They are sitting at 2nd in the Premiership, which isn’t bad even for them, and are marching along in the Champions League to an upcoming blockbuster tie with AC Milan. When all is said and done, Ferguson has definitely managed to keep things stable.
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho was placed at third, which mostly isn’t that bad either. He helped Inter to another Serie A crown, has crafted a good team, but was knocked out by his old club Chelsea in the Champions League last time around. It is a failure, however, that he will have the perfect opportunity to correct, as Inter and Chelsea square off again this season. This time you feel Mourinho has to produce the victory, and he is capable of doing so.