Scotland women boss Anna Signeul up for FIFA award

Anna Signeul is up against nine other coaches for the award. Picture: SNS

The Swede, who began her coaching career at the age of 21 while playing for IK Brage in her homeland, took charge of Scotland’s women in 2005 after spending nearly a decade coaching the Swedish youth teams.

Signeul took the Swedish Under-18s to third plce in the 1998 UEFA Women’s Under-18 Championship, before leading them to victory in the competition the following year.

Her first major success with the Scots was taking them to a qualification play-off for UEFA Women’s Euro 2009, which saw them lose out on away goals to Russia, but led the country to an all-time high of 23rd in the FIFA Wormen’s World Rankings.

She is also tasked with developing the women’s game at all levels in Scotland.

The winners of all awards will be revealed at the Ballon d’Or event in Zurich, on January 13th 2014. The list of coaches was drawn up by experts from FIFA’s Football Committee, Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup as well as a group of experts from France Football.

Signeul is up against Silvia Neid, who coaches the German women’s football team, Pia Sundhage of Sweden, and Shelley Kerr, boss of Arsenal Ladies.

The ful list of contenders is as follows: Gilles Eyquem (France U-19 National Team), Kenneth Heiner-Møller (Denmark National Team), Ralf Kellermann (VfL Wolfsburg), Shelley Kerr (Arsenal Ladies FC), Patrice Lair (Olympique Lyonnais), Silvia Neid (Germany National Team), Cindy Parlow Cone (Portland Thorns FC), Even Pellerud (Norway National Team), Anna Signeul (Scotland National Team), and Pia Sundhage (Sweden National Team).