Ellis & Neville up for Best FIFA Women's Coach award as nominees are revealed

Ameé Ruszkai

Ellis & Neville up for Best FIFA Women's Coach award as nominees are revealed image

Women's World Cup winning coach Jill Ellis is the front-runner for this year's Best FIFA Women's Coach award, with England's Phil Neville also among the nominees revealed on Wednesday afternoon.

Ellis led the USWNT to their second successive crown in France this summer, becoming the first coach coach to do so when her side beat the Netherlands 2-0 in Lyon after also overcoming England, France and Spain in the knockout rounds.

The Netherlands' coach, Sarina Wiegman, is also up for the award, having followed up the Oranje's surprise triumph in their home Euros in 2017 with another odds defying display at a major tournament this summer. 

England's journey to the last four of the competition earns Neville a nomination, as does his triumph in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, while Peter Gerhardsson, whose Sweden side defeated the Lionesses in the Bronze medal match, joins the list.

Italy's Milena Bertolini completes the World Cup influence, earning well deseved recognition for leading the country to their first appearance at the tournament for 20 years, as well as guiding them to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1991.

Reynald Pedros is an unsurprising inclusion, having led Lyon to another treble this season. The French club won the league, cup and UEFA Women's Champions League this year, having lost on penalties to PSG in the cup last season and settling for only the double.

Arsenal's FA Women's Super League triumph means Joe Montemurro earns a nomination, the Australian coach leading the Gunners to their first league title since 2012, while there's also a place for Paul Riley, who led North Carolina Courage to a second successive NWSL Championship.

The Englishman was named NWSL Coach of the Year for 2018 as a result, and also lifted the inaugural Women’s International Champions Cup, beating Lyon 1-0 in the final after a 2-1 success over PSG.

Futoshi Ikeda and Antonia Is complete the list, the former leading Japan to a Women's U20 World Cup triumph, while the latter completed a double with Spain's U17s - collecting the World Cup and Euros titles.

FIFA will reveal the three finalists at an unspecified later date, while the winner will be presented at The Best FIFA Football Awards in Milan on September 23.

Nominees in full 

Milena Bertolini (Italy), Jill Ellis (USA), Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden), Futoshi Ikeda (Japan U20), Antonia Is (Spain U17), Joe Montemurro (Arsenal), Phil Neville (England), Reynald Pedros (Lyon), Paul Riley (North Carolina Courage), Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands).

Ameé Ruszkai

Ameé Ruszkai Photo

Ameé Ruszkai is Goal's women's football correspondent, covering the Women's Super League, Women's Champions League & beyond. Ameé joined Goal in 2018, covered the Women's World Cup in France in 2019 and has continued to report on the women's game as interest and exposure increases. She's based in the UK and supports her hometown club, Bradford City.