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Miguel Herrera blasts Jurgen Klinsmann FIFA award nomination

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann did not deserve to be included on the 2014 FIFA World Coach of the Year shortlist, said Mexico coach Miguel Herrera.

"I also can't explain why Jurgen is there," Herrera told ESPN's Jorge Ramos y su Banda. "The truth is that maybe it is because he is German, because that is the only explanation we have."

Herrera questioned the award's selection process as well, and added that there were coaches who registered better performances for the year.

"Really he hasn't done anything to deserve to be there," Herrera said. "A better choice would have been the coach of Costa Rica [Jorge Luis Pinto] who did much more than Jurgen [Klinsmann]. Yes, he got them to the top of the CONCACAF group, Costa Rica were very close to them and at the World Cup there was a huge difference. Those are things you can't explain, but things that happen."

Klinsmann was included earlier this week among 10 FIFA World Coach of the Year nominees. His former Germany assistant turned World Cup-winning coach, Joachim Low, also made the list and is the top contender. Three finalists will be named on Dec. 1 and winner will be announced on Jan. 15, 2015. On Friday, Klinsmann was also added to the 2015 German Football Ambassador of Year shortlist.

Klinsmann made the FIFA list for the first time and is also the first U.S. coach to be included on it since the award's inception in 2010. It is also the first time that any U.S. men's coach has made the long list of any major award nomination.

Since being named the U.S. head coach in July 2011, the 50-year-old took the Americans to historic wins against Italy in February 2012 -- the 1-0 being the first win against the four-time World Cup winners since 1934 -- and their first win against Mexico in the Estadio Azteca later that year.

In 2013, the U.S. defeated Germany 4-3 during Joachim Low's summer tour and also won the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

FIFA World Coach of the Year nominees: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Real Madrid), Antonio Conte (Italy/Juventus/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola (Spain/Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany/U.S. national team), Joachim Low (Germany/Germany national team), Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Chile/Manchester City), Alejandro Sabella (Argentina/Argentina national team), Diego Simeone (Argentina/Atletico Madrid), Louis van Gaal (Netherlands/Netherlands national team/Manchester United).

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