In 2013, Paul Put, the Belgian coach of Burkina Faso’s Etalons du Faso, earned the title of Sports Personality of the Year. Under his guidance, the team reached the final of the African Cup of Nations. Following this achievement, Put came close to securing Burkina’s qualification for the World Cup in Brazil.
This skilled Belgian technician, who has a background as a former professional player and coach in Belgium, was also a contender for the Coach of the Year 2013 title at the Glo-CAF Awards. Additionally, he was nominated in the category of Best Coach at the Africa Top Sports Awards 2013, becoming the first foreigner to be honored with this accolade. Born on May 26, 1956, Put took on the role of coaching the Stallions in March 2011, succeeding Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte. It’s noteworthy that in 2008, the Belgian Football Union (URBSFA) initially handed Put a lifetime ban, later reduced on appeal to a three-year suspension. This penalty was related to alleged match-fixing during his tenure as the coach of Lierse in the Belgian D1 during the 2004-2005 season.
