Who Will Win the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or World Coach of the Year Award?



Germany World Cup Winning Coach - Joachim Low - In FocusThe countdown to the FIFA Ballon d'or gala in Zurich has begun where the World football Coach of the Year will be named on January 12, 2015. Three names have been shortlisted for the award.

Joachim Low

One reason for odds being heavily stacked in favor of this 54-year old Bavarian is his attaining the ultimately glory - The World Cup 2014. It was the most shining moment of an eight-year long career. Recovering from a semi-final loss to Spain in the South Africa World Cup of 2010, the meticulous and hard-working Low set about moulding his team to perform as a single unit. And did it pay off! The watershed moment of the 2014 German success at the 2014 World Cup was the historic 7-1 drubbing handed out to Brazil in front of partisan home crowds. More poignant was the humility and respect the victors showed to the losing side, something that was a manifestation of the kind of ethos Joachim Low had instilled into his team. No wonder at 2/7 his odds for taking the top honors on January 12 is the highest.

Carlo Ancelotti

The Italian manager of Real Madrid has been at the back of one of the most remarkable runs in Spanish football history. With four major titles under his belt, including La Decima, Ancelotti looks a hot contender for the coveted award. He restored the much needed equilibrium in the side after Los Blancos had to play second fiddle for over the past few years to their Spanish arch-rivals Barcelona and even to Atletico Madrid for a brief period. Real under Ancelotti is now a winning machine having registered emphatic wins over their Spanish rivals this La Liga season and turning in a top-drawer performance in the Champions League so far, winning all their group matches. He looks like carrying on his dream run at Los Blancos well into 2015 and at odds of 9/2 is a rightful second contender to the coveted award.

Diego Simeone

In 2011 Diego Simeone returned to his former club Atletico Madrid where he played as a midfielder from 2003 to 2005. This time it was not as a player but as manager and seriously shook up the Spanish League. From being mere pushovers, Atletico broke the complete stranglehold Real Madrid and Barcelona had over the La Liga for over a decade. The Madrid outfit did the unthinkable! They lifted the League title for 2013-2014. They were within seconds of becoming European champions but for Real Madrid's death-time heroics at the Wembley. Such was the kind of transformation the 44-year old Argentine wrought over his club. It's the unique set-piece strategies and player management skills on-field and almost manic levels of commitment to his work that distinguishes him from his peers. At odds of 5/1, he is the third favorite.

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Who do you think deserves the award the most?