He's still with us. Dimitri Nicolaou was, or we'd better say is, a great friend of futsalplanet.com. A futsal enthusiast, that kind of people we love to spend our futsal time with. This award is just a little way to remember his name and friendship, we miss you Dimitri! So, be ready to know who's the PC's heir as winner of the Best National Team Coach of the World category! The fifth category of the UMBRO Futsal Awards 2009 - 10th Edition by Futsalplanet.com goes to the iranian national team head coach Hossein Shams!

Status confirmed
If you believe that beeing the "Asian Kings" is something easy, just ask to Jurandir Dutra, the brazilian coach (current Under 23 trainer of Iran) who experienced the first ever iranian defeat in the AFC Champs 2006 played in Uzbekistan and conquered by Japan. Since his appointment Hossein Shams has rebuilt the idea and status of Iran as dominant nation in Asia, adding also worldwide ambitions and hopes. A big task characterized by the introduction in the team of new talents, and a renewed way of playing.

Modern Futsal
With Hossein Shams Iran turned into one of the most recognized futsal powers. No doubts on the fact that the World Cup 2008 was a brilliant example of this process, an improvement not wasted in the following year when Iran showed an impressive level of the game, an achievement also matched by great results and the Confederations Cup title. If you're looking for the "guilty" and responsible for this new shining Iran... his name is Hossein Shams.

Promising future
Once upon a time Iran was mainly composed of Reza Heidarian and Vahid Shamsaee: ball in their feet and let's hope something will happen. Today, and the year 2009 is a clear prove of it, things have changed. Though the persian pivot has still a central role in the roster, the Hossein Shams' Iran is a perfect machine which is able to play high standard futsal: Nazari, Taheri, Daneshvar, Keshavarz, Tikdarinejad, Latifi and mates are the new concept of Iran. We can now talk about a team, rather than a group of individual skills: persian revolution.

A lot of "good points" to crown Hossein Shams as winner of the Best National Team Coach of the World - DIMITRI NICOLAOU AWARD category of the UMBRO Futsal Awards 2009 - 10th Edition by Futsalplanet.com!!

Congratulations Hossein!


UMBRO Futsal Awards by Futsalplanet.com

Best National Team Coach of the World category - Dimitri Nicolaou Award - Winners
2009 -> Hossein Shams (Iran)
2008 -> Paulo Cesar De Oliveira "PC" (Brazil)
2007 -> Josè Venancio Lopez Hierro (Spain)
2006 -> not celebrated
2005 -> not celebrated
2004 -> Javier Lozano Cid (Spain)
2003 -> Javier Lozano Cid (Spain)*
Since the 2007 edition the Best National Team Coach of the World category is dedicated to the memory of our unforgettable friend Dimitri Nicolaou
* in this edition also clubs coaches were included in the same category