Soccer

Zidane leads 12-candidate list for top managers' prize

Winning seven trophies in 18 months on the job has earned Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane a spot among the 12 managers up for this year’s Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.

World football’s governing body released the list Thursday, which was put together by a panel of legends including World Cup winners Cafu, Diego Maradona, and Carles Puyol.

Along with Zidane, Bayern Munich’s Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea’s Antonio Conte, Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri, and AS Monaco’s Leonardo Jardim are nominees who won their respective league titles last season.

Here’s the full 12-man shortlist:

  • Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus)
  • Carlo Ancelotti (Bayern Munich)
  • Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
  • Luis Enrique (Barcelona)
  • Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
  • Leonardo Jardim (AS Monaco)
  • Joachim Low (Germany)
  • Jose Mourinho (Manchester United)
  • Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham)
  • Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
  • Tite (Brazil)
  • Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)

Pep Guardiola earned the nod despite enduring the first trophyless season of his managerial career with Manchester City.

A combination of votes from national team captains and coaches, media representatives, and the public will determine the winner.

Claudio Ranieri was named the Best FIFA Men’s Coach of 2016 after guiding Leicester City to an odds-defying Premier League triumph.