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          Ranieri, Fernando Santos and Zidane on FIFA coach award shortlist

          • ESPN staffDec 2, 2016, 11:00 AM

          Leicester City's Claudio Ranieri, Portugal's Fernando Santos and Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane are on the FIFA coach of the year award shortlist.

          Ranieri defied odds of 5,000-1 to lead Leicester to the Premier League title last season and has overseen a strong start to the club's first ever Champions League campaign this season.

          However, Santos will be a strong contender after Portugal won the European Championship for the first time in their history, while Zidane led Real Madrid to Champions League glory after taking over from Rafa Benitez in January.

          FIFA recently announced that the award will be based on the votes of captains and head coaches of national teams around the globe and an online public ballot with football fans and submissions from a selected group of over 200 media representatives.

          The final list was picked from a 10-man shortlist including Wales coach Chris Coleman; Barcelona's Luis Enrique; Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone; Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp; Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino; former Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, now with Manchester City; and Didier Deschamps of France.

          The Best FIFA Women's Coach award shortlist contains United States coach Jill Ellis, former Germany coach Silvia Neid and Sweden's Pia Sundhage.

          Ellis will look to defend her 2015 award after leading the U.S. to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup -- despite missing out on a medal at the Women's Olympic Football Tournament at Rio 2016.

          Neid, a two-time winner of the award, won the Gold medal with Germany before retiring from coaching and the final shortlist member is Sundhage, who became the first coach to reach three consecutive Women's Olympic Football Tournament finals.