1. Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina) – Manager, Tottenham Hotspur
Playing for four different teams throughout his footballing career, including Paris Saint-Germain, Mauricio’s rise to success as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur has been meteoric. The Argentine's first managereal experience in England involve taking Southampton to their highest finishing position in the Premier League since the 2002-03 season, before becoming manager of Tottenham Hotspur in 2014. One could say Spurs is Argentine football’s second home, of sorts, as players Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa, who were brought by Spurs in 1978, became the first South Americans in English football. And now, Pochettino has given Spurs its biggest success since those glory days, when Villa scored his incredible goal to win Spurs the FA Cup. The North London club has found itself 3rd twice and 2nd once since Mauricio’s appointment, and is currently 2nd in the Primier League as the year ends. His players to flourish, with 4 Tottenham players in the England squad, including Harry Kane who was brought from Tottenham’s youth team on Pochettino’s guidance. And now in the last 16 of the Champios League no wonder the fans are singing his name..
2. Roberto Firmino (Brazil) – attacking mid-fielder, Liverpool FC
What better way to prove the asset that this Brazilian is for Liverpool than Saturday’s hat-trick, which contributed to Liverpool’s 5-1 defeat of Arsenal and its nine point lead at the top of the Premier League table. Firmino’s work-rate and movement on the pitch has been undeniable. Due to his energy and defensive work-rate off the ball, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has referred to Firmino as the "engine" that propels the team's relentless counter-attacking system; "If he loses the ball, he fights for it back. If he loses it again, he fights for it. He looks like the engine of the team." The suitability of Firmino's playing style to Klopp's pressing system has meant that Firmino has been referred to as "Liverpool's most important player" and he is also well-known for his popular "no-look" goals.
3. Allison (Brazil) - Goalkeeper, Liverpool FC
Brazilian goalkeepers have always been considered crap. That's because, in Brazil, you have ten other players in the side who make the custodian unnecessary. Now we have the exception that proves the rule (if you like). It's called Alisson and it plays for Liverpool. Liverpool's manager Juergen Klopp had some difficulty initially in justifying spending a record €62 mn purchasing Alisson from Roma. Not any more. He now says he would have paid double had he known how good he was. It was thanks to Alisson, indisputably, that Liverpool beat Napoli and went through to the next round of the Champions League. There are also good grounds for saying that it is thanks to Alisson that Liverpool are in the position they are to challenge for the premiership. With his predecessors, there was always a sense of fragility to Liverpool's defence. Again, not any more and no one would be readier than defender Virgil Van Dyke to recognise the difference Alisson makes.
4. Pep Guardiola (Spain) – Football – Manager, Manchester City
The son of a bricklayer, Pep Guardiola has built a career through hard work and determination with flair and tenacity. An Olympic Gold Medallist in his own right, captaining Spain to victory at the Barcelona Games, when Pep turned to coaching, football would begin to change. Having led Barcelona B to victory in the Tercera División, he was promoted to manage FC Barcelona, piloting the club to the first ever treble in Spanish history, winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga and the UEFA Champion’s League. Barcelona went on to achieve another two La Liga titles and a 2nd place with Pep in charge also winning the Champion’s League in the 2010-2011 season. Transferring to Bayern München, Pep led the team to three consecutive Bundesliga wins in his three years in charge. Now at Manchester City, he secured the Premier League with the team last season and looks on track for the League this season. Creative, versatile and driven, when Pep manages a team, everybody else is left catching up.
5. Yerry Mina – centre-back, Everton F.C.
Never mind his football, Jerry had us with his dancing - his snake hip salsa celebrations are the envy of any European foottaller. Talking seriously, before moving to Everton this season, Yerry had a sensational year for his national team, Colombia. Before arriving at the 2018 World Cup, Mina scored three goals for Colombia, all coming from headers off corner kicks. Missing from Colombia's opening 2–1 loss with Japan, Yerry started in each of Colombia's remaining matches, where he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win over Poland, then the lone goal in a 1–0 win over Senegal which propelled Colombia to the top of their group and into the knockout stage. Not bad for a defender. Against England in the round of sixteen, Mina tied the scoring 1–1 in the 93rd minute to send the game into extra time. With his three goals, he tied the record number of goals scored by a defender in a single World Cup tournament, sharing the record with Germans Paul Breitner in 1974 and Andreas Brehme in 1990. On 8 August 2018, Mina signed with Everton in a deal worth €30 million. He scored his first goal for Everton in a 5–1 away win against Burnley, a header inside the opening 2 minutes of the match following a great cross from Bernard. This Colombian is super fast, great in the air and a huge asset to the Premier League.
6. Lucas Torreira (Uruguay) - defensive mid-fielder, Arsenal F.C.
In the words of Arsenal fans…”Torreira Woaoah, he comes from Uruguay. He’s only 5” 5”….and yes he seems to be the only thing keeping Arsenal fans from the throwing themselves of the cliffs, after the long drawn out goodbye to Arsene Wenger, which had the North London team underperforming for years. In Torreira’s debut, he set up Alexandre Lacazette's winning goal in a 3–2 win over Cardiff City and then contributed to his team’s 4–2 win over FC Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League. Torreira's performance in Arsenal's 1–1 draw with Liverpool delighted fans and pundits alike, picking up the man-of-the-match award. On 2 December, Torreira scored his first Arsenal goal and picked up another man-of-the-match award against Tottenham Hotspur when slot the ball past Hugo Lloris to give Arsenal a fourth goal in a 4–2 North London derby victory. A week later, on 8 December, Torreira scored a late 83rd-minute winner against Huddersfield Town with a bicycle kick, earning his fifth consecutive Arsenal Man of the Match performance. This Latin flaire has proved to be the beacon of light for beleaguered Arsenal fans.
7. Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina) - manager, Leeds United
This Argentine ex-footballer has become Yorkshire's most unlikely hero ever. The genius they call 'El Loco' has steered Leeds football club to the top of the Championship, and breathed new confidence into a team known for its perenniel underachievement. Appointed only seven months ago by chairman Andrea Radrizzani, Bielsa has transformed Leeds from a laughing stock into Championship leaders. He has moulded the team in his image, playing a brand of exhilarating football admired by Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane, who have been mentored by him. To Guardiola, who once flew to Buenos Aires and drove 185 miles to talk to his guru, he is “the best coach in the world”. As Leeds fans are discovering, there is method in the man's apparent madness. He watches the games on a bucket because the Elland Road dugout is below pitch level and it gives him a better vantage point. On 23 December after a dramatic late 2-3 win against Aston Villa, at the exact half-way point of the season, Bielsa's Leeds side sat top of the Championship despite a continued extensive injury list. Bielsa has been praised for his integration of Leeds United academy players to seamlessly cover the gaps of his injured squad. The Bucket Man cometh. In Bielsa Leeds trusts.
8. David Silva - mid-fielder, Manchester City F.C.
A talented and agile left-footed player, this fantastic attacking midfielder has become the principal engine of Manchester City's success this year, crowning a stellar career in both Spanish national and the English premier league. Silva is known for having an excellent first touch, good dribbling skills, and outstanding technical ability, which, along with his intelligent attacking movements, allow him to retain possession in tight spaces, and to create space for himself and teammates to open up a defence. On 15 September 2018, in a 3–0 home win over Fulham, Silva scored his 50th Premier League goal in his 253rd appearance in the competition, also making his 350th appearance for Manchester City in the same match.
9. Ricardo Gareca (Argentina) – Football – Manager of Peru National Team
We thought we’d give special mention to a couple of outstanding International performances this year and Ricardo Gareca has to be on top of the list. The Argentine coach got Peru through to the finals of the World Cup for the first time in 36 years. You might say that the team didn't do much to fulfil their promise when they got there but, then nor did any of he other Latin Americans. However, they didn't disgrace themselves, beat Australia and were unlucky to lose to France and Denmark. They played entertaining football and if their finishing had matched the quality of their build-ups, they would have caused an upset. Gareca is extremely popular in Peru and the fans were one of the factors that made the World Cup the success it was. He apologised to them for letting them down but promised that that was not the end of he road and committed himself to the job for the next 3 years. He has done more than anybody else to overcome the general disillusionment with public life and give Peruvians something they feel proud of. A member of the famous Boca Juniors during his playing career, Gareca went on to play for three of the other most successful clubs in the Argentian Primera División, River Plate, Vélez Sarsfield and Independiente. He began coaching in 1996 with Talleres and has managed 10 different teams since, including Independiente, Vélez Sarsfield and most recently the Peruvian National Team. Gareca will last long in the memory and hearts of Peru and the team’s influence on the Cup will stay with fans globally.
10. Andrés Iniesta (Spain) – midfielder - currently Vissel Kobe
Now beginning to wind down his career, Andrés retired from International football after Spain’s elimination from the World Cup, however his status as Spain’s most decorated player is his incredible legacy in the game. Playing his club football for FC Barcelona from 2002-2018, he was a member of the team both times Barcelona has won the treble. He was a hugely important player in the Spain teams that won the 2008 and 2012 Euros and the 2010 World Cup. A remarkable talent, his first International goal, which was against England, in 2007, set the scene for a sublime career to date and an astonishing Spanish dominance in football. Iniesta’s record in Spanish football and his place on the world stage will take some beating.
