Krong Angkor

Calgiari coach beats ´special one´ Mourinho to award

ROME (AFP) - Cagliari's Massimiliano Allegri won the coach of the year award for the 2008/09 season on Monday easily beating quadruple defending Serie A champions Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho.

Allegri, 42, won the award with 40percent of the vote of his fellow coaches after guiding Sardinia-based Cagliari, who are regarded as one of the lesser lights in the league, into a respectable ninth place in last year's championship.

Mourinho, who refers to himself as the 'special one', received just 20percent of the vote.

Allegri arrived at Cagliari in 2008 after coaching lower division outfits Grosseto (2005-2007) and Sassuolo (2007-2008).