Vicente Del Bosque was named Coach of the Year in Zurich during the 2012 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The world and European champion coach surpassed José Mourinho, the Spanish champion with Real Madrid—who did not attend—and Pep Guardiola, the winner of the Copa del Rey with FC Barcelona.
In his acceptance speech, Del Bosque expressed his gratitude and delivered a lesson in ethics: “I would first like to greet my colleagues Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho and say what an honor it is for me to represent Spanish football here. I obviously want to thank the Spanish Football Federation and my staff. I would also like to spare a thought here for all the coaches I have had and who contributed greatly to my wanting to become a coach myself. In football, we all want the same thing: to win. But I would also add that we must defend football, its ethics, and take care of our personal conduct.”
