© Getty Images

Maren Meinert confirmed her rise to the elite of women’s coaching by guiding the host nation to glory at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010. The team supervised by the former international, who was a FIFA Women’s World Cup winner with Germany in 2003, won all six of their matches en route to claiming the trophy.

The 38-year-old has continued her successful stint with the German FA (DFB) junior teams into 2011. Germany comfortably won the UEFA U-19 Women’s EURO, claiming a fourth triumph at continental level to go with previous successes in 2002, 2006 and 2007. In the final, Meinert’s team swept aside strong opposition from Norway in a blistering 8-1 win.