Former Chelsea Women’s team manager Emma Hayes was awarded at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. She currently manages the USMNT national team. And she is bringing a lot of success to the USA football team. That is why she was awarded as the ‘best women’s football manager of 2024’. This is certainly a big achievement for Emma Hayes.
Emma Hayes was the coach of Chelsea, and at one point in time, she had many trophies. Slowly, she became one of the most prominent people in the game of football these days. The team Blues was on top under her.
Career of Emma Hayes
A true Blues girl, born and bred in Camden, the youngster started her managerial stint at a club called the Long Island Lady Riders, whom she joined in 2002. Since then she had gone through numerous jobs with clubs like Iona Gaels, Chicago Red Stars, and Arsenal, finally settling as the assistant coach with Arsenal. It then made perfect sense for Arsenal’s arch-rivals, Chelsea, to appoint Hayes, so here is the result; Hayes built a world-class squad at the heart of Stamford Bridge.
During the time at Chelsea, the English manager won 14 trophies. After such a glorious 12-year spell at Chelsea, she left the west London club to seek a new challenge. Currently, she coaches the USA national team which is succeeding under her helm. The USA women’s team managed to win a gold medal in football with a thumping victory in the Olympic games against Brazil. However, Natasha Bompastor has succeeded Chelsea as the new coach of Chelsea women’s teams.
Why win this award?
Today, many great managers are working with women’s football, and a few of them include Nick Cushing, Joe Montemurro, Jonas Eidevall, and many more. Out of all of them, Emma Hayes won the award because not only did she win major trophies but she also maintained a degree of consistency at Chelsea, and 12 years is indeed long.
In this long journey, Hayes won five consecutive Women’s Super League titles with Chelsea. Along with that, she has built some big players. The list includes Sam Kerr, Penile Harder, Millie Bright, Beth England, Ji So-Yun, and many more.
Award ceremony
According to reports from the BBC, both Emma Hayes and Carlo Ancelotti received the first ever Johan Cruyff Awards, given to the world’s best football managers, as these managers have innovated the concept of contemporary footballing by taking it forward with their legacy. One of them has dominantly led the Women’s Super League, while the other is famous for grabbing back-to-back UEFA Champions League trophies.
Unfortunately, to both the managers, couldn’t attend the award night. The reason was simple. The USA women’s team, led by Emma Hayes was to play an Argentina’s women team. Emma Haynes had left a message on the occasion. In this message speech was inserted.
On the contrary, the entire Real Madrid team boycotted the ceremony. It is said that Vinicius Junior was not able to win Ballon d’Or as Rodri took that award. That is why all Real Madrid players were missing in that ceremony.
Response of Emma Hayes
That would be the very first-ever Ballon d’Or for female football managers, and in history. Well, after collecting her initial trophy, Emma Hayes described, “I could feel this honor coming since I held this prize because I just felt a connection to be with people you love with so much happiness.” In her response, the coach has admitted that work under their wing is challenging because they encounter a lot of miserable moments many times; Emma Hayes continues coaching both Chelsea’s players and players at US national levels as well.
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