De la Fuente named Coach of the Year

Luis de la Fuente has been named Coach of the Year after leading Spain to glory at the World Cup in North America over the summer. The tactician received the award from Rafael Benitez. In the women's category, Barcelona head coach Pere Romeu was named Women's Coach of the Year after steering his team to four trophies last season.

"It is a great honor to receive this award. Being among these nominees is something truly special. I want to thank them, as they did more than enough to deserve this recognition. This is not an individual award—it belongs to the entire squad, an incredible team. It is an honor to coach you and work with you. I also want to thank the Spanish Football Federation. The secret is working with players who are selfless, work together, and put the team ahead of their own interests," said De la Fuente.

The competition in this category was fierce and featured three other Spaniards. Among the nominees was Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique, who led the French giants to the domestic league title and a second consecutive Champions League triumph. The other contenders were Mikel Arteta, who guided Arsenal to the English title, Unai Emery, who won the Europa League with Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany.

Pere Romeu was named the best women's team coach for his work at the helm of the Barcelona women's squad.