Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has offered support to embattled Paris Saint-Germain counterpart Unai Emery, saying he's the best coach in Ligue 1 this season.
Jardim, who won the award last year, ruled himself out of the running to replace Emery before their two sides met in the Coupe de la Ligue final at Bordeaux's Matmut Atlantique on Saturday, which PSG won 3-0, and has now backed Emery to beat him to the prize for best tactician in the league.
"Unai is the best coach in Ligue 1," Jardim said at a news conference on Tuesday ahead of Monaco's trip to Rennes. "He will win Le Championnat and he has won the Coupe de la Ligue.
"Unai is the coach who has won the most matches with PSG these past few seasons -- I have seen the statistics. Why should it not be him?
"I think that Unai will win the best Ligue 1 coach award and in my opinion, it is deserved."
PSG are away at rejuvenated Saint-Etienne on Friday but might have had their lead at the Ligue 1 summit cut to 14 points by then if Monaco are successful in Brittany.
Monaco are then at home again on Saturday, against Nantes, before they meet PSG at Parc des Princes in the league on April 15 before Emery take his players to Caen in the Coupe de France semifinals.