Luis Enrique is chasing back-to-back Coach of the Year awards, and given what PSG have done in Europe, it's hard to argue with him being the frontrunner. France Football have confirmed the full shortlist for the 2026 Johan Cruyff Trophy — the prize awarded to the game's best coach — and the five names on the men's list cover almost every major storyline of the season.
Enrique steered PSG to consecutive Champions League titles, making them only the second club in the post-European Cup era to pull off that feat. That's not just a good season. That's a legacy-defining run, and it puts him ahead of the field before the ceremony even starts.
The men's shortlist, broken down
Behind Enrique, the strongest case belongs to Mikel Arteta. Arsenal's Champions League final defeat to PSG was the only thing standing between him and a perfect season — he delivered the club's first Premier League title in 22 years. That's the kind of drought-ending result that shifts how a manager is perceived. Arteta's odds for this award, and for next season's Premier League outright, deserve a second look.
Luis de la Fuente appears for the second time after winning the Euros in 2024. Add a World Cup this year and Spain's national team is operating at a level that's genuinely hard to disrupt. He's the dark horse here — international managers rarely get the credit club coaches do, even when the results are plainly superior.
Unai Emery's nomination reflects what Aston Villa have become under him: a side that consistently outperforms its resources. A Europa League trophy and a fourth-place Premier League finish is a serious body of work. Villa qualifying for the Champions League again changes the calculus on their squad investment, and Emery is the reason it keeps happening.
Vincent Kompany rounds out the list after leading Bayern Munich to a dominant Bundesliga title. He's the only non-Spaniard in the men's category, which says something about how thoroughly Spain's coaching culture has taken over the game's top jobs.
The women's award is wide open
On the women's side, a first-time winner is guaranteed following Emma Hayes in 2024 and Sarina Wiegman in 2025. The five nominees are Jonatan Giráldez (OL Lyon), Andrée Jeglertz (Manchester City), Nils Nielsen (former Japan), Pere Romeu (Barcelona) and Elena Sadiku, who started the season at Celtic before taking BK Häcken to Europa Cup glory.
Sadiku's story is the most unusual of the lot — switching clubs mid-season and still delivering a trophy takes some doing. Giráldez, after his work building Barcelona's women's dynasty before moving to Lyon, will carry genuine weight with voters.
- Men's nominees: Luis Enrique (PSG), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Unai Emery (Aston Villa), Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich)
- Women's nominees: Jonatan Giráldez (OL Lyon), Andrée Jeglertz (Manchester City), Nils Nielsen (Japan), Pere Romeu (Barcelona), Elena Sadiku (BK Häcken)
The ceremony is next month. Enrique's the man to beat, but Arteta winning a first league title in over two decades for Arsenal will carry serious emotional weight with voters. Don't rule him out.
