http://www.iffhs.de/main/ranking/weltclubtrainerakt/?sprache=englisch 1. Vicente del Bosque, Real Madrid CF 2. Arsène Wenger Arsenal, FC London 3. Sir Alexander Ferguson, Manchester United FC 4. Klaus Toppmöller, TSV Bayer Leverkusen 5. Nery Pumpido, FC Olimpia Asunción 6. Rafael Benítez, Valencia CF 7. Marcello Lippi, FC Juventus Torino 8. Christian Gross, FC Basel 9. Héctor Raúl Cúper, FC Internazionale Milano 10. Jair Picemi, AD São Caetano 11. Matthias Sammer, BV Borussia Dortmund 12. Gerard Houllier, Liverpool FC 13. Ottmar Hitzfeld, FC Bayern München 14. Bert van Marwijk, Feyenoord Rotterdam 15. Javier Irueta, Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña 16. Carlos Ancelotti, Milan AC 17. Fabio Capello, AS Roma 18. Luigi Del Negri, AC Chievo Verona 19. Rubén Dario Insúa, CA San Lorenzo de Almagro Buenos Aires 20. Víctor Fernández, Real Club Celta de Vigo Manuel Lapuente, CA América Ciudad de México Louis van Gaalm, FC Barcelona
You have to laugh at these rankings. Del Bosque's role at Real Madrid was the best performance by a coach last year? A third place in La Liga including 10 defeats. Sure, a CL title and the plastic cup in Tokyo makes him a candidate, but still... If my Spanish was more fluent, even I and many other BigSoccer members could do fairly well with Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Raul and Roberto Carlos at our disposal. The prize should go to a coach who has made impact because of HIS and not his PLAYERS qualities. Toppmöller would be my choice.
I'd pick Toppmoeller too, although someone at BL really dropped the ball when it came to buy-out clauses for Ballack and Ze Ruberto.
My choice would be Pumpido, with Toppmöller a close second. Vicente del Bosque winning the award is a joke. If I had Casillas, Hierro, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, and Raul, I don't think I would have done that much worse. Even more of a joke is Alex Ferguson ranked 3rd. Third place in England, knocked out of the FA Cup in January, out of the Worthington Cup at the first hurdle, thoroughly unimpressive and lucky to reach the Champions League semifinal... and again most BigSoccer posters probably wouldn't do too badly with Ferdinand, Beckham, Giggs, Keane, Veron, and van Nistelrooy.
LOL!!! Gross is 8th. Just ask us Spurs fans how good he is (he's crap!) No Trap? Away from his time for the Italian national team, he has been one of the greatest club managers. SGErikson all should be up there, minus his stay with England.
My take: Vicente del Bosque: You should give him credit for managing a team with so many big players and keeping egos in check. He is liked Phil Jackson in basketball. But Toppmöller deserves the award more than he does.