UEFA Women's Coach of the Year nominees: Cortés, Gerhardsson, Hayes

Lluís Cortés, who led Barcelona to success last season, Sweden’s Peter Gerhardsson and Chelsea’s Emma Hayes are on the shortlist for the 2020/21 UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award.

The winner will be named – along with the UEFA Men's and Women's Players of the Year, UEFA Men's Coach of the Year and UEFA Women's Champions League and UEFA Champions League positional award winners – during the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League draw ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday 26 August. The UEFA Europa League Player of the Season will be announced the following day.

• UEFA Women's Player of the Year award nominees
• UEFA Women's Champions League positional award nominees

UEFA Women's Coach of the Year nominees

Lluís Cortés (Barcelona, now unattached)

Promoted to head coach in January 2019, he led Barcelona to that year's UEFA Women's Champions League final. Last season Cortés went one better as Barça cruised past Chelsea 4-0 in the Gothenburg final to add to their Spanish domestic double, from a season in which they scored 208 goals in 47 competitive games. Third in the voting for this award in 2019/20, he stood down from the Barcelona job in June 2021.

Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden)

Appointed Sweden coach in 2017, having previously managed the Häcken men’s team, Gerhardsson oversaw their surprise run to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals to earn a place at this summer’s Olympic tournament. In Japan, Sweden were perhaps the outstanding team overall, notably beating the United States 3-0, though they were pipped to gold on penalties by Canada. Gerhardsson has also guided his side to next summer’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, with Sweden looking one of the favourites.

Emma Hayes (Chelsea)

Chelsea boss since 2012, Hayes’ team became English champions for the fourth time in her reign last season, retained the League Cup and also reached their first UEFA Women’s Champions League final. The only other time an English side had made the final was in 2007 when the trophy was lifted by Arsenal, with Hayes on the coaching staff. She was pipped to third place in 2019/20’s inaugural UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year vote by Cortés.

The rest of the top ten

4 Olivier Echouafni (Paris Saint-Germain, now unattached) – 24 points
5 Jens Scheuer (Bayern München) – 17 points
6 Rita Guarino (Juventus, now Internazionale Milano) – 10 points
= Anna Signeul (Finland) – 10 points
8 Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, now England) – 7 points
9 Gareth Taylor (Manchester City) – 5 points
10 Jorge Vilda (Spain) – 3 points

What is the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award?

For this award, coaches in Europe, irrespective of nationality, were judged on their performances across the whole season in all competitions – both domestically and internationally – at either club or national team level. Lyon's Jean-Luc Vasseur was the inaugural winner in 2019/20.

How were the coaches shortlisted?

The shortlist of three coaches was selected by a jury composed of the coaches of the clubs that participated in the 2020/21 UEFA Women’s Champions League round of 16. Twenty journalists specialising in women’s football and chosen by the ESM group were also part of the jury.

Jury members picked their top three coaches, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. Coaches were not allowed to vote for themselves.