2025 Ballon d'Or: Arne Slot, Enzo Maresca, Hansi Flick Nominated for Men's Coach of the Year Prize
In the world of football, the annual Ballon d'Or ceremony is a highly anticipated event, honouring the best male and female players and coaches in the game. This year, the nominees for the Men's and Women's Coach of the Year awards have been announced, and they represent a veritable who's who of managerial talent.
On the men's side, the nominees are:
- Antonio Conte (Napoli)
- Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Hansi Flick (Barcelona)
- Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)
- Arne Slot (Liverpool)
Luis Enrique and Hansi Flick stand out on this list for their remarkable achievements with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, respectively. PSG clinched the Champions League under Enrique's guidance, while Barcelona enjoyed a historic 2024-25 season, securing their first-ever domestic treble under Flick's leadership.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca's management, achieved an unbeaten run without losing a single match, a feat not seen since Arsenal in 2001. Arne Slot's Liverpool also made waves, with the team earning a nomination for Slot in the Ballon d'Or Men's Coach of the Year category.
Moving onto the women's side, the nominees are:
- Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea)
- Arthur Elias (Brazil)
- Justine Madugu (Nigeria)
- Renée Slegers (Arsenal)
- Sarina Wiegman (England)
Sarina Wiegman is considered the front-runner for the women's coaching award, having led England to a UEFA Women's Euro victory this summer, marking her second consecutive Ballon d'Or nomination. Wiegman has also continued to guide the Lionesses to three consecutive major tournament finals.
Justine Madugu, the coach of Nigeria's Super Falcons, has also earned a nomination. Under her leadership, the team qualified for the Olympics and put up a strong showing at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, securing their record 10th title.
Sonia Bompastor, Renee Slegers, and Arthur Elias have also made significant contributions to their respective teams. Bompastor led Chelsea to a domestic treble, making her the third manager in the WSL era to achieve this feat. Slegers steered Arsenal to a second-place finish in the WSL and to the club's second Champions League title in their history. Elias, the coach of the Brazilian Women's team, led them to the Copa America title, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. This annual event celebrates the outstanding achievements of footballers and coaches worldwide, and this year's nominees certainly live up to the tradition.
[1] Source: Ballon d'Or Official Website [2] Source: BBC Sport
- Beyond football, other sports have also produced exceptional figures, as seen in the World Series, where the Houston Astros emerged victorious in a thrilling MLB baseball season.
- In ice hockey, the Tampa Bay Lightning retained their title as NHL champions, showcasing their unmatched skill and teamwork in the grand championship series.
- The Masters tournament in golf witnessed a historic comeback by Tiger Woods, who won the coveted green jacket for a record-tying fifth time.
- The 2025 Ballon d'Or nominees even extended to sports like racing, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen vieing for F1 honors, and American Pharoah winning the Triple Crown in horse racing.
- In the realm of basketball, the NBA Finals was a thrilling contest between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, with LeBron James once again making headlines for his incredible play.
- Over in NCAA basketball, the Villanova Wildcats snatched the national championship from under the noses of the Duke Blue Devils in a nail-biting final game.
- Meanwhile, the Spanish LaLiga saw Real Madrid secure the title, under the guidance of Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, who led the team to their 35th league championship.
- European leagues also saw a close fight for supremacy, with Bayern Munich maintaining their grip on the Bundesliga, while Manchester City and Liverpool continued their title races in the Premier League.
- Auto racing held the attention of sports fans around the world, as Formula One introduced a new points system and Mika Häkkinen made a sensational comeback at the Japanese Grand Prix.
- The world of mixed martial arts saw Khabib Nurmagomedov retire undefeated, passing the torch to his teammate, Islam Makhachev, who emerged victorious in a highly anticipated match at UFC 264.
- With the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony just around the corner, sports fans are eager to see if the nominees' outstanding achievements will be rewarded on the night, as the best of the best gather to celebrate their unparalleled contributions to the world of sports.
