Yet coach and player have moved in different directions since their European triumph in May, with the Leicester-born coach having left Frankfurt for a new challenge at Norwegian side Avaldsnes, and Sasic having quit the game altogether. And while both decisions raised eyebrows, it was the striker’s decision to retire at 27 - just as she was reaching new heights for club and country - that left the women’s game reeling.
“We were all sad at that decision, but we respected it,” reflected Bell. “Football was never the only thing in Celia’s life and she felt the time was right to expand her horizons. She’s always been a very focused individual who knows what she wants and, when she sets her mind on something, you know she’ll follow through on it with her heart and soul.
“I knew I could always rely on her to give 100 per cent, even when she wasn’t playing well. And of course she had that wonderful gift for putting the ball in the net, which is what football is all about. She definitely improved her game over the four years we worked together and I really admired how focused she was. We could argue with each other at times, but we were good for each other too and she relished the challenge which I laid down to her, which was to win trophies.”
It was that same motivation that propelled Bell to the greatest achievement of his coaching career, a feat that also earned him a spot on the initial list of ten nominees for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football award. And though unruffled by failing to make the final trio, the 54-year-old hopes that club coaches can become a regular presence on the podium in years to come.
He said: “I was really pleased to be nominated initially and I think that the final three are all extremely worthy candidates who had a great World Cup. I would have liked to have seen a club coach on there, of course, and I was very pleased for Ralf Kellermann getting the award last year as he’d been hugely unfortunate not to win in 2013, when he won all three trophies he was competing for. I do feel women’s football at club level must be able to compete for attention and recognition year in, year out, even when there’s a big tournament on. And these awards and nominations can help.
