Luis Enrique shortlisted to retain Johan Cruyff Trophy after PSG’s UCL win

League Soccer

Luis Enrique is bidding to retain the Johan Cruyff Trophy after guiding Paris Saint-Germain to another Champions League triumph. The PSG head coach won the prize in 2025 and has again been shortlisted following a second straight European title in Paris.

Quick facts

  • Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, Luis de la Fuente and Vincent Kompany are nominated for the men’s award.
  • The Johan Cruyff Trophy began in 2024, when Carlo Ancelotti was its first recipient.
  • Emma Hayes won the women’s prize in 2024, followed by Sarina Wiegman in 2025.
  • The 2026 women’s shortlist includes Pere Romeu, Andree Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Jonatan Giraldez and Elena Sadiku.

The coaching honour recognises the manager judged to have delivered the strongest combination of results, tactical work and innovation. Luis Enrique’s handling of PSG’s leading players and his adaptability through the Champions League knockout rounds have put him among the leading contenders again.

Arteta is in contention after taking Arsenal to the Premier League title, ending a 22-year wait for domestic league success in north London. His side came close to a major double but were beaten by PSG in the Champions League final.

Emery’s nomination follows another strong campaign at Aston Villa. The Midlands club won the Europa League and finished fourth in the Premier League, earning qualification for the following season’s Champions League.

Spain coach De la Fuente arrives on the list after a World Cup-winning year with La Roja. He had placed third in the 2024 voting after Spain’s European Championship success, and his possession-focused approach delivered further silverware at the 2026 World Cup.

Kompany is the only nominee on the men’s list who is not Spanish. The Bayern Munich manager led the club to the Bundesliga championship and watched his team set a division scoring record with 122 goals across the season.

The five-man field underlines the influence of Spanish coaching across club and international football, with four of the candidates having developed their careers within that school of management.

A new winner will be crowned in the women’s category when the award is presented next month. Barcelona coach Romeu is among the contenders, alongside Manchester City manager Jeglertz and Nielsen, the former Japan head coach.

OL Lyonnes boss Giraldez and BK Hacken manager Sadiku complete the shortlist. Sadiku started the campaign at Celtic before taking charge of the Swedish side and leading them to a landmark Europa Cup victory.
Marcus Chen

Marcus Chen covers world soccer for berkeleyhistoricalsociety.org — club news, transfers, and the people who drive the game from week to week. His reporting ranges across the Premier League and Champions League, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, plus the U.S. game and World Cup cycles. He came up on football desks at newspapers and specialist sites, where the job was simple: get the facts straight, then explain what they mean for the club and the supporters. The pieces here are written the same way — match reaction, transfer notes, interviews and features that stay close to the pitch.

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