JULEN LOPETEGUI VOTED SIXTH BEST MANAGER THIS YEAR BY UEFA

23/09/2020

The award is chosen by the 80 managers who took part in the Champions and Europa League group stages, in addition to 55 journalists, one from each federation

Julen Lopetegui has been voted as the sixth best manager of the year by UEFA. Sevilla FC's manager, who in his first season at the club secured Champions League qualification as well as winning the Europa League, was just behind Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), and Julian Nagelsmann (Leipzig). Those three will contest the trophy, with Thomas Tuchel (PSG) and Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) finishing in 4th and 5th place respectively.

In the voting, with over 80 European managers and 55 journalists casting their vote, Lopetegui's great work this season was recognised, putting him above managers of the calibre of Rudi Garcia, Zinedine Zidane, Pep Guardiola or Antonio Conte, against whom he faced in last month's final in Cologne.

One of the three managers in the final to win the manager of the year is none other than Flick, Thursday's rival in the UEFA Super Cup. The vote is testament to the great work done by Lopetegui in his first year as Sevilla FC coach.