Ballon D’Or: De la Fuente Wins Men’s Coach of the Year Award

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has been named Men’s Coach of the Year, adding another accolade to his growing collection of honours.

De la Fuente emerged victorious ahead of fellow nominees Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique.

The Spanish coach received the award from former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager Rafael Benítez at the ceremony.

De la Fuente’s latest recognition further underlines Spain’s recent dominance, with the country completing a clean sweep of the four awards presented in the category at the event.

Bayern Munich manager Kompany was unable to attend the ceremony after falling ill following a training session with his team. Former France international Thierry Henry sent his best wishes to the Belgian coach as he recovers.

Accepting the award through a translator, De la Fuente described the recognition as a great honour and acknowledged the achievements of his fellow nominees.

“My English is not good, but I hope in the future I can speak better. It is a real honour for me to receive this prize. The nominees have done more than enough to deserve it,” he said.

The Spain manager dedicated the award to his colleagues, insisting that his success was the product of collective effort rather than individual achievement.

“This prize is not an individual prize; it is for a whole team. Teamwork makes us invincible. This is a great honour,” he added.

De la Fuente’s victory further strengthens his reputation as one of the leading figures in international football management, with his achievements bringing continued recognition to Spanish football.