Who Are the Best Football Managers?
Managing a football team requires a diverse array of talents and a substantial knowledge of the game. As well as being tactically astute, managers should be able to work individually with players to motivate and discipline them. Their instructions need to be communicated effectively, and they must anticipate the physical and psychological condition of their players. Of special importance is a manager’s ability to make intelligent substitutions and tactical changes during matches.
As a prerequisite, managers need to earn the respect of their players by leading them competently. Many talented tacticians fail because they don’t have the authority to lead. It takes a special kind of individual to be both an artist and a drill sergeant. The following list of managers epitomize this character and have translated their ability into remarkable success in the football world.
10. Mircea Lucescu
Full name: Mircea Lucescu
Nationality: Romania
Date of birth: July 29, 1945
Mircea Lucescu managed Shakhtar Donetsk from 2004 to 2016, guiding the Ukrainian team to every domestic trophy and the 2009 UEFA Cup. Shakhtar are now a formidable force in European football, reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League in 2011. Lucescu has won 12 league titles and nine domestic cups during his time in Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. In 2016, he left to manage the Russian club, Zenit St. Petersburg. He currently manages the Turkish national side.
9. Jürgen Klopp
Full name: Jürgen Norbert Klopp
Nationality: Germany
Date of birth: 16 June 1967
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is a rising star in the football world. He transformed the fortunes of Borussia Dortmund, bringing them league titles in 2011 and 2012, and the German Cup in 2012. Klopp’s reign ended the undisputed dominance of Bayern Munich and established Dortmund as a major force in European football. He assembled an excellent team in all positions and favored a quick style of counter-attacking football that was quite similar to Arsenal (in their better years).
Dortmund went on a 28-match unbeaten streak in 2012, and Klopp’s side also reached the 2013 Champions League final. He recently took Liverpool to three cup finals, including the 2018 Champions League, but was defeated in each. Klopp then won the 2019 Champions League final.
8. Pep Guardiola
Full name: Josep Guardiola Sala
Nationality: Spain
Date of birth: January 18, 1971
After a distinguished career as a defensive midfielder for Barcelona, Josep Guardiola was elevated to manager of the club’s B team in 2007. One year later, he was made first team boss. After making drastic and risky changes to Barcelona’s first team and footballing strategy, the club won the treble in his first season. Pep went on to win three La Liga titles, two domestic cups, three Super cups, two Champions Leagues, two European super cups, and two World club cups, claiming a total of 14 trophies in four seasons.
Guardiola then took a year out to recover before becoming Bayern Munich manager in 2013. He won the domestic double in his first season, and again in 2016, but never reached a Champions League final in his three years at the club.
In all, he claimed a further seven trophies with Bayern. In 2016, he took over at big-spending Manchester City and, after a season without a trophy, won the league in emphatic fashion, recording the most points, wins, and goals of any team in Premier League history. Guardiola’s teams are known for keeping possession, pressing relentlessly, and their sublime creativity.
7. Marcello Lippi
Full name: Marcello Romeo Lippi
Nationality: Italy
Date of birth: April 12, 1948
Marcello Lippi led an unfancied Italian side to victory in the 2006 World Cup. He was also responsible for the domination of Italian football by Juventus in the late 1990s. His management style focuses on team strength and unity rather than individual talent and ego. He won five league titles, one domestic cup, and the 1996 Champions League with Juventus. He currently manages the Chinese national team.
6. Antonio Conte
Full name: Antonio Conte
Nationality: Italy
Date of birth: July 31, 1969
Antonio Conte is a former Italian footballer who spent most of his career at Juventus and represented his country 20 times. His work-rate as a player mirrors the effort he now expects from the players he manages. Conte plays with wing-backs in a 5-3-2 formation and picks players who are versatile enough to suit his system.
During the 2011–12 season, he led Juventus to the Serie A title without losing a single game. Conte stayed at Juventus for three years, winning Serie A in each season before managing Italy for their Euro 2016 campaign. His team knocked Spain out of the tournament but narrowly lost to Germany on penalties. He then joined Chelsea in 2016 and won the Premier League in his first season, claiming a (then) record 30 league victories. Antonio Conte has a long career ahead of him and is likely to become one of the greatest managers of all time.
5. Diego Simeone
Full name: Diego Pablo Simeone González
Nationality: Argentina
Date of birth: April 28, 1970
Diego Simeone is perhaps the most sought-after rising star in the football management world. Before becoming notorious as manager of Atletico Madrid, he won two league titles in his native Argentina. On his arrival in Spain, he galvanized an underachieving Atletico side and took them to fifth in the league. He also guided them to victory in the 2012 Europa League.
In his first full season as manager, his team thrashed Chelsea in the European Super Cup before winning the 2013 Spanish domestic cup. Next came Simeone’s greatest achievement as Atletico Madrid manager: winning the 2014 Spanish league title by finishing ahead of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Simeone’s ongoing European success has only been limited by narrow defeats to Real Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals.
4. Arsène Wenger
Full name: Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger
Nationality: France
Date of birth: October 22, 1949
Arsène Wenger managed Arsenal for 22 years. He advocates an attacking and flowing style of football, which made the club a favorite with neutral supporters. He has been criticized for his trust in youth and his reluctance to bring in big names. Despite a lack of recent achievements, Wenger kept Arsenal in the top group of English football for two decades, winning three league titles, seven FA Cups, and reaching the Champions League final in 2006. One of his Arsenal teams went an entire season unbeaten in 2003–04. Wenger also won a league title and domestic cup with Monaco.
3. Louis Van Gaal
Full name: Aloysius Paulus Maria Van Gaal
Nationality: Netherlands
Date of birth: August 8, 1951
Known for his direct style of football, Louis Van Gaal is also a strict disciplinarian. Described as proud and arrogant, he uses a fusion of artistry and authority that has brought him astounding success as a manager. With Ajax, he won the 1995 Champions League, the 1992 UEFA Cup, three league titles, and one domestic cup. At Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he added three more league titles and one domestic cup.
Incredibly, he also led AZ to the Dutch league title in 2009. Van Gaal then guided a much belittled Dutch side to third place in the 2014 World Cup before taking over as Manchester United manager. His disappointing spell at United nevertheless included an FA Cup win.
2. José Mourinho
Full name: José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix
Nationality: Portugal
Date of birth: January 26, 1963
Portuguese coach José Mourinho is known for his well-organized defenses and the physical strength of his teams. He was a teacher of physical education before earning invaluable coaching experience under legends Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal.
He has won eight league titles and four domestic cups with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, and Real Madrid. He also won the 2003 UEFA Cup and the 2004 Champions League with Porto, the 2010 Champions League with Inter, and the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United. After a mixed second spell at Chelsea, Mourinho became Manchester United manager at the start of the 2016–17 season and took them back into the Champions League.
1. Carlo Ancelotti
Full name: Carlo Ancelotti
Nationality: Italy
Date of birth: June 10, 1959
When Carlo Ancelotti won the 2014 Champions League with Real Madrid, he became the only currently active manager to have won the tournament three times. Previously, he had won it twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007. Ancelotti’s illustrious career includes league triumphs in Italy, England, France, and Germany, with Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich respectively. He’s also claimed domestic cups with Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
Ancelotti’s management style is one of versatility and adaptability. He plays formations that suit the attributes of his players. With 20 trophies to his name, he is one of the most decorated managers on this list.
Why Is Guardiola Not Ranked Higher?
Some readers may be surprised that Pep Guardiola was ranked eighth on this list. However, it’s clear that Pep needs to test himself at lesser clubs before his ability can be properly judged. Not reaching a Champions League final in three years at Bayern Munich suggests he may be overrated. However, his record-breaking second season at Manchester City is proof that he’s talented enough for this list.
Honorable Mentions
Football managers captivate audiences around the world with their touchline antics. They are an unpredictable and sometimes mysterious part of the beautiful game.
There are a number of talented managers who weren’t featured in this list. Honorable mentions go to:
- Zinedine Zidane
- Manuel Pellegrini
- Ralf Rangnick
- Muricy Ramalho
- Unai Emery
- Óscar Tabárez
- Walter Mazzarri
- Claudio Ranieri
- Rafa Benítez
- Vicente del Bosque
- Fabio Capello
