Barcelona saviour in contention for Johan Cruyff Coach of the Year award | OneFootball

Few could have pictured Barcelona lifting a domestic treble at the start of last season, less so with swashbuckling football that blew away the majority of their opposition. It has earned Hansi Flick a nomination for the Johan Cruyff award, given to the best coach of the previous year by France Football.

Real Madrid and Barcelona feature heavily in the nominations for the Kopa trophy, while all three of Spain’s giants have representation in the Yachine trophy nominations too. Flick will face tough competition for the Cruyff award, not least from a former Barcelona coach.

Hansi Flick nominated for Coach of the Year

Flick has been named by France Football as one of five nominees for the award, alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique, Napoli’s Antonio Conte, Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca and Liverpool’s Arne Slot. In contrast to the other awards, there is no representation from Spain in the women’s coach of the year award.

Image via El Nacional

Slot took Liverpool to the title despite the departure of legendary manager Jurgen Klopp, while Antonio Conte secured just a second Scudetto for Napoli in the 21st century. Flick’s stiffest competition may be from Luis Enrique though, who finally got PSG over the line in the Champions League, and playing some of the best football seen in the competition for some time too.

Flick revitalised Barcelona side after messy end for Xavi Hernandez

Arriving to a Barcelona side in disarray, Flick revitalised a team with only the additions of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor in the transfer market. After Xavi Hernandez resigned, was reinstated, and then sacked in the space of five months, few were predicting much for a Barcelona side that had struggled to compete the previous year.

However with Raphinha, Pedri and Lamine Yamal leading the way, Barcelona blew Real Madrid away, winning all four Clasicos and scoring 16 goals in them, on their way to the title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercup. Only a stoppage time equaliser from Inter deprived them of a chance to dispute the Champions League final against PSG.