Ranking the top 30 best men’s club managers in EuropeplayLaurens: Luis Enrique has built a monster team in PSG (1:48)Tor-Kristian KarlsenAug 12, 2026, 03:04 AM ETMultiple Authors
tamil yogi
Plenty of elite managers have been moving around of late or taking a break, but who are the best in the men’s game in Europe? This list ranks the top 30, covering legends approaching the latter stages of their careers, rising stars just breaking through and everyone in between.
– Read the 2025 list here
How did you go about compiling the top 30?
An initial group of around 50 managers was narrowed down to 30 before I asked some people working in the football industry — coaches, sporting directors, CEOs and chief scouts — for added input. In an effort to emulate how professional clubs consider a long list of managers for a new hire, the final 30 have been rated on six attributes and their total score constitutes the position.
Tor-Kristian Karlsen is a Norwegian football scout and executive and is the former chief executive and sporting director at AS Monaco. He will write regularly for ESPN on the business of soccer and the process of scouting.
• Coaching acumen: The ability to apply coaching principles to a match setting, physical preparation and in-game management.• Style: The attractiveness of the footballing style. Entertainment value is paramount here, as is a manager’s capability to dictate the proceedings of a game in a proactive (as opposed to reactive, i.e., play on the break) manner. An attacking style will produce a higher score.• People management: Motivational skills and the capacity to get maximum performance out of a squad. The degree to which players respond to and “play for” the manager.• Communication: A manager’s ability to instill trust in their “project” internally, to club directors and players, and to the outside world (media, supporters). Their expertise of conveying a message clearly through well-chosen words and PR skills. This also extends to in-game and touchline behavior, including manager’s attitude toward officials, colleagues and players.• History/achievements: Success and results. Though trophies are the main currency of achievement in football, other accomplishments such as winning promotion, getting teams out of relegation trouble, taking unlikely teams into Europe or overperforming despite minimal resources count, too.• X factor: Ability to surprise and come up with new ideas. The likelihood of being considered for top jobs in the future. The resilience to bounce back from a poor run of results.Presenting the best club managers in Europe. Getty ImagesNotes:• Only managers with at least one full season in charge of a first team were considered (Manchester United’s Michael Carrick is included because of his spell at Middlesbrough). Those who have been out of work for one year or more (such as Thiago Motta and Xavi) were excluded.
• No national team managers were included, as it’s not a true comparison with the domestic game. Sorry, Jurgen Klopp.
• To keep the ranking as current as possible, history/achievements (and X factor, which is arguably the least tangible category) are given less emphasis with ratings out of 10 instead of 20.
• When the total scores of managers are equal, the score for history/achievements decides the rank. If still level, X factor breaks the tie.
• The terms “manager” and “head coach” have been used casually throughout the piece, but if you want my definition of either role, click here.
• All stats are correct as of Aug. 11.
The List
Jump to: No. 25 | No. 20 | No. 15 | No. 10 | No. 5 | No. 1
30. Ruben Amorim, 41, AC Milan
Coaching acumen: 13/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 12/20
Communication: 10/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 5/10
TOTAL: 56/100
Amorim was one of the brightest young coaches in world football when he arrived at Manchester United in November 2024. He came with a signature philosophy, based on a 3-4-2-1 system known for having a rotating back three, wide wingbacks and narrow forwards. But 47 games later, after he stubbornly refused to change his tactics, fell out with the club’s ownership and notched only 15 wins, he was sacked.
This summer, AC Milan offered hm a lifeline and he is now looking to rebuild his reputation at San Siro, but it is by no means an easy job. Milan have churned through three managers in two years, their squad is in need of a rebuild and anything outside of a top-four finish would be deemed a failure.
Questions remain whether Amorim used his time out of work for soul-searching — he has since reported he “learned a lot” from his experience in England — or whether he will persist with his tactical inflexibility. At 41, he is still in the infancy of his managerial career. Nevertheless, the way he turned Sporting CP from a perennial “nearly club” into two-time Portuguese champions with that same system is a feat to be respected.
29. Regis Le Bris, 50, Sunderland
Coaching acumen: 11/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 10/20
History/achievements: 2/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 57/100
Le Bris arrived at Sunderland in 2024 as a virtual unknown — even in France, he was renowned only for his work at youth level. His only job as a head coach, at Lorient, had ended in relegation. At Sunderland, though, he has been a revelation. He first made his name by helping the club out of the Championship in his first season, beating Sheffield United in a dramatic playoff final. Then, last season, his newly promoted side stunned everyone by finishing seventh in the Premier League and qualifying for Europe for the first time since 1974.
Le Bris’ tactical approach is to employ a compact 4-4-2 formation when out of possession, and switch to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system with the ball, with wingers inverting inside and a classic No. 9 striker leading the attack. It has clearly worked, enough for him to go from being a little-known French coach to being nominated for Premier League manager of the season within two years.
28. Pierre Sage, 47, Crystal Palace
Coaching acumen: 10/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 12/20
History/achievements: 2/10
X factor: 5/10
TOTAL: 58/100
Few in England would have heard of Sage before he took over at Crystal Palace this summer, but his managerial career has been nothing short of extraordinary. He spent two decades in French football’s amateur and lower-league ranks, via Annecy’s academy and semi-professional Lyon-Duchere. But after arriving as a youth coach at Lyon in 2019 and later running their academy in 2023, he was unexpectedly made the club’s interim manager that November.
He soon impressed, eventually guiding the team to qualify for the Europa League and earned himself a permanent spot on the touchline but was sacked 14 months after taking the interim job following a run of poor results.
He resurfaced five months later at Lens, where his aggressive 3-4-2-1 system proved a great success. Indeed, last season, Sage’s side pushed Paris Saint-Germain to the wire for the Ligue 1 title before ultimately finishing second, and he delivered the club’s first Coupe de France trophy. He was named Ligue’s 1 Manager of the Year ahead of PSG boss Luis Enrique.
Yet, one season at Lens was enough for Sage. He left the club acrimoniously this summer and succeeded Oliver Glasner at Palace instead. The question now is whether Sage can continue his upward trajectory in the Premier League?
27. Paulo Fonseca, 53, Lyon
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 13/20
Communication: 9/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 5/10
TOTAL: 58/100
Fonseca has bounced around between clubs over the past decade more than most of his peers. He was hailed as a rising star after helping Shakhtar Donetsk to three Ukrainian doubles and a run to the Champions League round of 16 in 2017-18. But he followed that with an underwhelming two-year tenure at AS Roma before another two-year stint at Lille.
He earned a big move to AC Milan in 2024 but lasted only 24 games after reportedly falling out with stars Rafael Leão and Theo Hernández.
In January 2025, he took over at Lyon while the club was threatened with relegation to Ligue 2 and reinvented his career. Amid a chaotic change of ownership, Fonseca managed to earn a surprise berth in the Champions League but spent half of his tenure serving a nine-month ban from the touchline and dressing room for attempting to headbutt a referee after being sent off against Brest in March 2025.
Tactically, Fonseca likes his teams to play on the front foot, with a system of possession-based football that sees his fullbacks invert into central midfield. But has he learned to control his temper?
26. Roberto De Zerbi, 47, Tottenham Hotspur
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 11/20
Communication: 10/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 59/100
After beginning his coaching career with Palermo and Benevento, De Zerbi caught the eye at Sassuolo and then Shakhtar Donetsk, before the expansive attacking football he brought to Brighton & Hove Albion between 2022 and 2024 gained worldwide praise.
“De Zerbi-ism” centers on baiting the other team to press. His goalkeeper and two center backs, who split wide and leave a huge gap between them, invite pressure before quickly attempting to play around it. In possession, he often opts for a 3-2-5 formation, with narrow fullbacks and wide wingers. When out of possession, De Zerbi instructs his teams to win the ball back high up the pitch.
After a chaotic 19-month spell at Marseille, where he achieved a second-place finish in Ligue 1 in his first season but endured wildly varying results in his second, De Zerbi made a return to the Premier League when he signed a five-year deal at relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur in March 2026. The Italian coach’s leap of faith paid off, though, as he kept the club up on the final day of the season, winning 11 points from their remaining seven league games.
Now his task is to reintegrate the style that won him so many admirers. There is an argument to say he has been backed in the transfer market better than any other manager in the Premier League this season, with Spurs spending over €260 million to bring in three players (Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke) as well as adding free agents Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson before August.
25. Marcelino, 60, Unattached
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 13/20
Communication: 12/20
History/achievements: 4/10
X factor: 4/10
TOTAL: 60/100
Marcelino guided Villarreal to third place in LaLiga last season, with the club’s best points tally since 2007-08 earning another year of Champions League football in the process. So why did he leave this summer?
Essentially, it was down to a disagreement over how the club would operate going forward. The board offered the 60-year-old coach a one-year contract extension — he had asked for two — and they wanted a squad bolstered with youth players, rather than veterans as Marcelino had preferred.
So, Marcelino is a free agent, but he has a résumé that should land him another high-profile job. During his 19-year coaching career at the likes of Sevilla, Valencia, Athletic Club and Marseille, Marcelino has stuck to a pragmatic approach that uses a 4-4-2 formation. He has a “five-second rule” in which whenever the team loses possession, the three nearest players to the ball must attempt to win it straight back as quickly as possible.
24. Jose Mourinho, 63, Real Madrid
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 10/20
People management: 12/20
Communication: 12/20
History/achievements: 8/10
X factor: 3/10
TOTAL: 60/100
Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid this summer landed like a bombshell in world football. Longtime Madrid president Florentino Perez, fed up with recurring disciplinary issues and a lack of silverware, gave Xabi Alonso’s progressive approach only six months before sacking him and opted for the polar opposite. Madrid paid Mourinho’s €15 million release clause at Benfica to bring back the Portuguese manager who delivered Perez a LaLiga title in 2011-12 with a record points total, only to leave a year later after what he described as the “worst” year of his career at the time.
Mourinho has been on a long journey since that successful Madrid spell. He has had two-year stints back at Chelsea (2013-15), Manchester United (2016-18) and Tottenham Hotspur (2019-21) before taking charge at AS Roma between 2021 and 2024, where he lifted the inaugural UEFA Conference League title.
But that European trophy from 2022 was Mourinho’s most recent piece of silverware. After Roma, he had underwhelming stints at Fenerbahce and Benfica, and the idea of him guiding Madrid back to the top of elite football seems fanciful. At Benfica, he did prove apt at taking an explosive side and giving it a solid mentality and edge. He should not be dismissed as he returns to Madrid, but time will tell if his man-management skills can help Madrid become successful again.
23. Niko Kovac, 54, Borussia Dortmund
Coaching acumen: 13/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 13/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 6/10
TOTAL: 61/100
Kovac’s managerial career has been full of highs and lows. It includes winning the double of German Bundesliga and German Cup at Bayern Munich in 2018-19, as well as a miserable two-year reign at VfL Wolfsburg between 2022-2024 that ended in him being sacked amid an 11-game winless run.
Last season was a redemption of sorts for Kovac. Having rescued a struggling Dortmund side after taking over in January 2025, he steered them to a second-place finish behind Bayern, and a look at his tactics shows his growth as a manager. Having previously been a proponent of an orthodox back four in defense, Kovac has reinvented himself at Dortmund with a compact back three. His 3-4-2-1 system is defined by being tough to score against and quick on the counterattack; while he has also given his wingbacks license to attack.
Kovac has also shown an ability to develop young players, having already brought through Luka Jovic, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Felix Nmecha during his career. Last season, he handed regular starts to 20-year-old Jobe Bellingham and gave debuts to academy prospects Samuele Inácio and Luca Reggiani.
22. Francesco Farioli, 37, FC Porto
Coaching acumen: 11/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 61/100
Early in his career, Farioli served as a goalkeeping coach under De Zerbi at Benevento and Sassuolo. Now, he is in the process of outshining his former boss.
The Italian coach got his first managerial job five years ago at Turkish side Fatih Karagümrük before enjoying spells at Alanyaspor and Nice as he continued his upward trajectory. Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam came calling in 2024, but he lasted only one season as his promising start was followed by one of the worst title collapses in history as Ajax blew a nine-point lead with five games left to somehow finish second behind PSV Eindhoven.
But Farioli rebounded immediately by taking the job at FC Porto in July 2025 and he quickly led them to their first league title in four years, conceding only 18 goals in the process. His Porto side uses goalkeeper Diogo Costa to build possession from the back, play quick combinations in midfield, and have direct wingers who can cause a threat going forward. And his skills have not gone unnoticed among Europe’s elite clubs.
21. Michael Carrick, 44, Manchester United
Coaching acumen: 10/20
Style: 12/20
People management: 16/20
Communication: 15/20
History/achievements: 2/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 62/100
Carrick’s route to becoming Manchester United’s head coach has not been straightforward. After the graceful midfielder retired in 2018, he served on the club’s backroom coaching staff for several years before earning his first managerial job with Middlesborough, where he enjoyed a promising two-year spell in 2023-2025 that included a promotion push that ended in the playoff semifinals in his first year.
Having been sacked in June 2025 after a poor run, he was appointed as interim manager at United in January 2026 following Amorim’s sacking. But his 12 wins from 17 league games (which earned the club a surprise third-place finish) saw him hired on a permanent basis.
Carrick corrected a lot of what Amorim was often criticized for: He played players in their favored positions, used a back four instead of a back three in defense, restored young midfield star Kobbie Mainoo to the starting XI and earned the respect of the dressing room. He opted for either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation and modeled United less on ideology and more on common sense. Out of possession, United did not press remarkably high up the pitch, nor did they just sit back. They were compact, made it difficult to pass through the middle of midfield and often had a midfielder drop deep to shield their center backs.
The early signs under Carrick were positive, but the real test starts now. He will he need to embed new signings as well as balance Premier League games with a return to the Champions League and both domestic cups.
20. Eddie Howe, 48, Unattached
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 4/10
TOTAL: 62/100
Howe’s near five-year tenure at Newcastle United followed a familiar pattern almost to the end: promising spells that raised hopes of establishing the club in the top six-to-eight positions in the Premier League, undone by adverse runs that left them looking borderline directionless. Last season offered further evidence of that volatility, as Newcastle slipped to 12th (their lowest finish since Howe’s arrival in November 2021 after a Saudi-backed consortium took ownership), ended up below newly promoted local rivals Sunderland, lost both derbies, and missed out on Europe altogether.
Tactically, the former AFC Bournemouth and Burnley boss built from a back four into a 4-3-3 formation, using width and a lone pivot to beat the press before releasing overlapping fullbacks to create more numbers out wide. A front-footed Newcastle could beat any opponent on their day, but defensive issues often left them vulnerable to transitions.
That vulnerability was set to be tested further by a summer of change as two of the team’s key players were allowed to leave — winger Anthony Gordon (Barcelona, £60 million) and midfielder Sandro Tonali (Tottenham, £92.5 million) — while captain and lynchpin Bruno Guimarães also looks set to depart to Arsenal for around £70 million. But Howe never faced it and stepped down, saying he needed to recharge after nearly five years of pouring his life, heart and soul into the club.
Indeed, he leaves Tyneside with credit for the longevity and stability he gave a project that could otherwise feel unpredictable, having spent longer in the job than every Premier League manager bar Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta (with Pep Guardiola already gone from Manchester City.)
19. Sebastian Hoeness, 44, VfB Stuttgart
Coaching acumen: 12/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 63/100
Hoeness impressed early in his managerial career when he led Bayern Munich’s reserves to a maiden third-division title, before taking over at Hoffenheim whom he twice guided to midtable finishes in the German Bundesliga. In April 2023, he was appointed manager at Stuttgart, who were bottom of the table and deep in a relegation battle. But he saved them from dropping to the second tier and even managed to guide them to qualify for the Champions League the following season by finishing second — the club’s best finish since 2007 — before sealing another Champions League campaign with a fourth-place finish last season.
Hoeness is often praised by his players for building a harmonious, ego-free dressing room. He tends to set up Stuttgart in a fluid system that can feature four or three defenders, and he encourages his players to swing in lots of crosses — his wide defenders push high up the pitch to join attacks, resulting in his teams invariably ranking among the Bundesliga’s top teams for crosses attempted.
Out of possession, his sides engage in an aggressive man-to-man press, led by two attackers that look to cut out passes from the opposition defense. It is an energetic and attractive playing style that has won him plenty of admirers.
18. Diego Simeone, 56, Atlético Madrid
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 11/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 6/10
X factor: 4/10
TOTAL: 63/100
Another year has passed and Simeone is still at the helm at Atlético Madrid. His 15 years at the club, during which he has taken charge of 800 matches, make him the longest-serving manager in Europe’s top five leagues. Then again, the past five years of that spell have seen Atlético fail to win a trophy (though Simeone did manage to guide the club to the Champions League semifinals last season.)
With only one year left on his contract, Atlético fans are split as to whether they want Simeone to sign a new deal. Though the core principles of his tactical philosophy remain untouched — he prefers a well-organized defense, quick transitions and physical dominance — the Argentine showed much more flexibility last season. Atlético’s formation was more fluid, with an occasional extra center back appearing and more dynamic attacking roles going forward.
Despite Simeone’s tactical demands, he keeps giving opportunities to academy graduates — he handed out 10 debuts last season — but closing the gap to Barcelona and Real Madrid in LaLiga next season could be paramount if he is to extend his stay again.
17. Ernesto Valverde, 62, Unattached
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 5/10
X factor: 3/10
TOTAL: 64/100
Valverde began his coaching career at Athletic Club in 2001 and, after four years, ended his third spell as head coach this summer after reaching his 500th game in May. This most recent stint was his most successful, as he ended the team’s 40-year trophy wait in 2023-24 by landing the Copa del Rey and earned Champions League qualification following year. And though the timing of his departure coincided with his worst league finish (12th) at the club, Valverde left on his own accord.
Having experienced jobs with Espanyol, Olympiacos, Villarreal and Valencia, Valverde is perhaps best known for serving as Barcelona head coach in 2017-2020, leading the club to back-to-back LaLiga titles, the first alongside the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup in 2017-18.
Tactically, he is pragmatic and flexible, setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that can either sit back and soak up pressure or dictate the match depending on the opponent. Given Athletic Club’s infamous transfer policy of signing players born in or trained only within the Basque region, Valverde turned to the club’s academy more than most and proved this unique model can still be competitive both in Spain and in Europe.
16. Fabian Hürzeler, 33, Brighton
Coaching acumen: 12/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 2/10
X factor: 8/10
TOTAL: 64/100
Having taken Brighton to an eighth-place finish in his debut season after arriving from St. Pauli in 2024, Hürzeler repeated that feat last season and showed his steady development and maturity as a head coach.
Whereas in his first season he leaned on his predecessor De Zerbi’s patient, possession-heavy football, Hürzeler has recently shown more of his own identity. Among some of the tweaks he made was a riskier build-up play that relies on fewer players behind the ball, while he also made his fullbacks push deeper into final third.
As much as Brighton have become experts at winning the ball back high up the pitch, the club can change how aggressive that approach is and adapt it during a game rather than sticking to one predictable tactic. Hürzeler, who is still only 33, remains one of European football’s most closely watched young coaches. In particular, his man-management skills are often noted, as he publicly credits his players for results and often finds a way to make his squad players feel included.
15. Cesc Fabregas, 39, Como
Coaching acumen: 11/20
Style: 15/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 2/10
X factor: 8/10
TOTAL: 65/100
The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder has enjoyed an almost perfect start to his management career. In Year 1, still without the required coaching badges, he served as a nominal assistant to Moreno Longo and then Osian Roberts during Como’s promotion to Serie A in 2023-24. That summer, and with his FIFA Pro License now in hand, he was given the full-time job and led the club to a respectable 10th place in 2024-25, before sealing an historic Champions League spot last season by finishing fourth. Unsurprisingly, the Catalan is now viewed as one of the game’s most highly regarded young coaches, having reportedly already turned down bigger jobs.
Fabregas has clearly planned his career carefully; fully aware that a high-profile job carries greater pressure, scrutiny, short-termism and volatility. Having played under some of the greatest managers in the game — Arsène Wenger, Pep Guardiola, Vicente del Bosque and José Mourinho among them — he has plenty to draw upon and it does show in his approach.
His physically sharp and well-prepared Como side construct play patiently through a rotating double pivot in midfield before looking to play penetrative, forward passes through the middle. While out possession they compress into an aggressive 4-4-2 that ranks among Serie A’s most intense pressing setups. Surely a future at one of his former clubs awaits.
14. Enzo Maresca, 46, Manchester City
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 65/100
Maresca learned as an assistant under Vincenzo Montella (Sevilla), Manuel Pellegrini (West Ham United) and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), while he took his first steps in management at Parma in 2021 and then Leicester City in 2023. Having secured promotion back to the Premier League in his one year at Leicester, he made the move to Chelsea in July 2024 and took the club to a respectable fourth-place finish in his debut season, secured the UEFA Conference League trophy and, most importantly, won the FIFA Club World Cup after a tactical masterclass against Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Many thought the club’s infamous manager churn had ended with Maresca, so his resignation on Jan. 1 came as a surprise. Some argue he engineered his own departure, aiming a series of negative comments at the club’s hierarchy through the media in the autumn while City waited in the wings for the chance to hire him as a long-term replacement for Guardiola. But ultimately a compensation amount (declared to be £17 million) was paid to Chelsea by both City and Maresca himself, and he took charge at the Etihad this summer.
City are clearly confident that the Italian will carry on Guardiola’s flexible, positional-oriented style and get the respect needed from the senior players. Reports from the Chelsea dressing room following his departure suggested the manager was highly thought of by his players for his man-management, tremendous work on the training ground and impressive tactical preparation.
13. Antonio Conte, 56, Unattached
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 13/20
Communication: 12/20
History/achievements: 7/10
X factor: 5/10
TOTAL: 65/100
Conte has been in management since 2006 and has taken charge of some Europe’s top clubs, including Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Tottenham. But after following up Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign of 2024-25 with a slightly underwhelming second season that saw them finish second and win the Supercoppa, while failing to reach the knockout phase of the Champions League, his two-year spell ended prematurely as both parties agreed to terminate a contract that ran until 2027.
He remained popular with the supporters and received a warm farewell, but reports of disagreements over recruitment, medical matters and the division of responsibility suggested that his relationship with the club hierarchy had deteriorated beyond repair: a familiar pattern for Conte, whose exits from Inter and Tottenham followed almost identical boardroom fallouts over transfer backing and control.
The fiery 56-year-old did show more tactical flexibility than usual at Napoli, moving away from his trademark back three at times and repeatedly adjusting the structure when injuries or poor form disrupted the side. The club generally retained the aggression, intensity and directness associated with his teams, though their attacking play at times became cautious and predictable.
12. Andoni Iraola, 44, Liverpool
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 3/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 66/100
Though always destined for a bigger club, Iraola’s move to Liverpool came about quickly following Arne Slot’s sacking a year after winning the title. At Bournemouth, Iraola’s front-footed football brought steady progress: 12th, then ninth, then a best-ever sixth-place finish and a maiden UEFA Europa League spot, which is a tremendous return considering that he arrived with the remit of establishing the club in the Premier League.
Though few doubt the calm Basque can handle the pressure at Liverpool, the bigger question is whether a massive club in the middle of a rebuild can quickly adapt to his methods. Then again, he proved at Bournemouth — at one point he weathered a nine-man injury crisis — that he can still deliver with a depleted squad.
While his style of play is not far removed from Slot’s in principle, it is more direct. Iraola’s model demands fewer passes before shooting or crossing and it’s even more aggressive in the regains, hunting the ball on the attacking third in a less structured pressing setup. Yes, it can look more chaotic, but both Bournemouth’s productivity and defensive record point to a method behind the frenzy. Though turning it into habit at a club of Liverpool’s size might take some trial and error.
11. Oliver Glasner, 51, Nottingham Forest
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 13/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 13/20
History/achievements: 4/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 66/100
The former Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg head coach left Crystal Palace at the end of the season after two successful but stormy years. In that time, he won three trophies — including the club’s first FA Cup in 2025 — cementing his place as the most successful manager in Palace history. What makes it even more remarkable is that it came amid the decision to let star players Michael Olise (£50 million to Bayern), Eberechi Eze (£62 million to Arsenal), and Marc Guéhi (£20 million to Manchester City) leave and the financial turmoil that followed.
Glasner’s Palace were organized from a compact 3-4-2-1 (a slightly unusual back three for a high-pressing side), with quick attacks, aggressive wingbacks and close support around the striker as key attacking components. Without the ball, they dropped into a 5-4-1 or 5-2-3, protecting central areas and pressing on wide triggers. In short, the model excels in transition but can struggle against deep, passive opponents.
The paring of the resolute Austrian with the equally strong-willed Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis — already onto his fifth head coach in a year — could prove combustible; it could either turn Forest into a dynamite outfit or blow up in spectacular fashion.
10. Cristian Chivu, 45, Inter
Coaching acumen: 13/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 4/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 67/100
With only three months of previous experience as a head coach — gained by keeping Parma up — the former Inter Milan defender won back the Scudetto at his first attempt last season. Though he inherited a strong side, he wisely avoided tinkering too much with the foundations laid by Simone Inzaghi but did push his back three higher up the pitch, which compressed the spaces in midfield, and played more directly.
That approach made Inter a serious force against Serie A’s smaller sides by pinning them deep into their own half and denying them time on the ball or any chance to slow the game down. Yet while they were suffocated into submission, Chivu’s Inter were less convincing against the traditional big clubs and in Europe.
The higher line and aggressive press occasionally backfired against stronger opposition who played through the initial pressure and exposed the back three in behind. That weakness showed in defeats to rivals AC Milan in both derbies, plus losses to Napoli and Juventus, before resurfacing in a shock Champions League playoff round exit to Norwegian minnows Bodø/Glimt.
9. Vincent Kompany, 40, Bayern Munich
Coaching acumen: 13/20
Style: 15/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 4/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 68/100
It was a huge shock when Bayern took a gamble on Kompany after two-year spells at Anderlecht and Burnley, but they have been rewarded. Having restored stability to the team and reclaimed the German Bundesliga title in his first season, the second was a year of further development. Though Kompany kept his aggressive principles, his Bayern side became more flexible in possession, with star striker Harry Kane dropping deeper, the fullbacks moving inside to a greater extent, and the attacking players given more freedom to interchange. The result was a fluid and efficient side that scored a record 122 league goals, collected 89 points, and lost only once on their way to the domestic double.
Importantly, Kompany also appeared more comfortable managing Bayern’s hierarchy. He rotated established players without hesitation, showed faith in his younger players like Lennart Karl and handled sensitive decisions expertly in his trademark low drama style of communicating. One sign of the maturity in his leadership and the collective belief that he has instilled was how often Bayern turned games effortlessly and calmly having gone a goal (or two) down.
One minor quibble from an almost perfect season is that their aggressive positioning could still leave space in transition, particularly against top opponents capable of playing through the initial pressure. Even so, Kompany’s second season removed any doubt as to whether he was cut out for such a huge job.
8. Arne Slot, 47, Unattached
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 14/20
People management: 14/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 6/10
X factor: 6/10
TOTAL: 69/100
Having impressed by bringing two trophies in two years to Feyenoord in the Netherlands, Slot hit new heights by winning the Premier League in his first season at Liverpool — largely with the same squad left by legendary predecessor Jurgen Klopp. But his attempt to reshape the team (to the tune of £450 million) amid the emotional challenges of Diogo Jota’s tragic death the following summer ended in an unexpected, dramatic decline as the club finished fifth on 60 points, 24 fewer than the previous season, with their goal difference falling from plus-45 to plus-10.
Tactically, Slot tried and failed to accommodate £100-million midfielder Florian Wirtz and reduce the side’s dependence on veteran winger Mohamed Salah — as well as integrating two relentlessly attacking new fullbacks — but the pieces never quite fitted together, and his public spat with the legendary Salah came to define his tenure. Liverpool became slower and less penetrative in possession, while their pressing lost intensity and the spaces between the defensive lines left them vulnerable to counterattacks, set pieces and late goals.
The Dutchman was not solely responsible for the regression as injuries (particularly to £125 million striker Alexander Isak) and an expensive — but poorly balanced — rebuild did complicate his work. That reported, he never really found a proper structure for the new squad and the combination of declining performances, strained relationships and a loss of connection with the Anfield crowd ultimately made his departure inevitable. He has reportedly rejected an approach from the Netherlands national team in the wake of the World Cup, and is now focused on finding another job in Europe.
7. Xabi Alonso, 44, Chelsea
Coaching acumen: 14/20
Style: 15/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 15/20
History/achievements: 5/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 71/100
Having found extraordinary success in his first major managerial job at Bayer Leverkusen — he took over a side sitting 17th and turned them into unbeaten Bundesliga champions and domestic double winners in 2023-24 — Alonso was appointed as Real Madrid boss in June 2025 with high expectations. There were early signs of progress through greater pressing intensity, fluid transitions and his flexible 4-2-3-1 and 3-2-5 structures, yet the improvements were short-lived. Without a controlling midfielder, Madrid’s build-up play struggled under pressure, the defensive input from the forwards was lackluster and Alonso kept tinkering — in both first XI selection and shape — his way into more trouble.
On a leadership level, his detailed, interventionist methods never seemed to win over a dressing room used to being given more freedom, and negative reactions from the players (such as Vinícius Júnior) was met with only limited public backing from the club, which further undermined his authority. Madrid called his January exit mutual, but it was effectively a dismissal after 34 games, no trophies and a Supercopa final defeat to Barcelona.
Despite the setback at Real Madrid, Alonso remains an outstanding managerial talent and it wasn’t long before the former Liverpool midfielder was hired for another job. Chelsea now represents a fresh challenge and arguably a coup for the Londoners. The early signs suggest Alonso has been handed a key influence over transfers — something recent Chelsea managers were denied under the club’s much-debated recruitment structure — but history suggests he won’t get much time to fix any issues if things go astray.
6. Gian Piero Gasperini, 68, AS Roma
Coaching acumen: 17/20
Style: 15/20
People management: 15/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 6/10
X factor: 5/10
TOTAL: 72/100
Arguably one of European football’s most underrated managers, Gasperini has spent his career in Italy with Crotone, Genoa, Inter Milan, Palermo, Atalanta, and now AS Roma, whom he took to third place in Serie A last season to secure a spot in the Champions League for the first time in seven years.
Few can match Gasperini for stability and lasting impact. In a nine-year spell, he transformed Atalanta into a real force in Italian football, leading them to repeated Champions League qualification and their first major silverware since 1963 in the 2024 Europa League.
Gasperini has very demanding standards in training, likes to play a high defensive line that relies on pressing and positional rotation in a fluid 3-4-3 formation, and champions both the intensity and mental resilience of his side. Last season, despite his reputation for attacking play, Roma conceded only 31 league goals — Serie A’s second-best record — and when his side struggled to score early on, he dug deep into his vast knowledge of the game by working tirelessly on attacking movement and gave his midfielders more freedom to push into the box. The January arrival of Donyell Malen also helped, as the Dutchman scored 14 goals from the final 18 games.
5. Unai Emery, 54, Aston Villa
Coaching acumen: 15/20
Style: 15/20
People management: 16/20
Communication: 14/20
History/achievements: 7/10
X factor: 6/10
TOTAL: 73/100
As Emery approaches his fourth year at Aston Villa, the former Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal boss still isn’t getting the credit he deserves. But he is building a case to be considered one of the game’s most successful active managers.
He has delivered European football every year since he arrived to a team more used to battling in the lower half of the table, and last season he led Villa to their first European trophy in 44 years with a record-extending fifth UEFA Europa League title (three at Sevilla; one at Villarreal). Despite working with a budget far tighter than those of his rivals, the energetic Spaniard has brought a level of stability that should never be taken for granted.
Yet Emery is rarely mentioned among Europe’s elite coaches. Last season started slowly — with four scoreless draws — but his sides rarely stay substandard for long. Indeed, his resilience and ability to turn difficult patches around are one of his outstanding traits.
He remains loyal to his principles, with patient possession designed to draw opponents in, quick combinations to break them down, disciplined defending, and a shifting pressing structure depending on the opponent. But turning the possession in the final third into a higher goal return is arguably his main challenge going into next season.
4. Hansi Flick, 61, Barcelona
Coaching acumen: 16/20
Style: 17/20
People management: 16/20
Communication: 15/20
History/achievements: 7/10
X factor: 6/10
TOTAL: 77/100
After an eight-year spell as Germany assistant, Flick come to prominence as a manager in his own right only in 2019 when he took over at Bayern Munich and won six trophies the following year, before an ill-fated two-year stint with Germany in 2021-2023. But having taken charge at Barcelona in 2024, his back-to-back LaLiga titles leave little doubt that he’s the real architect of the club’s domestic resurgence.
Last season, Barcelona retained the Spanish title with a huge 94 points and a perfect home record, driven by the same aggressive pressing and slightly more directness from his 4-2-3-1 formation than in his first year in charge. And by adding a second Spanish Super Cup, Flick took his haul to five domestic trophies from six as coach at Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s high defensive line had been vulnerable to counters, but the German showed he could adjust by becoming more pragmatic when the situation demanded it and often added an extra midfielder to regain control of the center, while he proved willing to let the back four drop deeper once the first line of pressure was broken.
His usual meritocracy and faith in younger players kept the dressing room settled through the adverse spells, but Atlético Madrid proved a thorn in the side as they eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League (and Copa del Rey) by exploiting space behind the defense and exposing the limits of the approach that has served Flick so well domestically.
3. Mikel Arteta, 44, Arsenal
Coaching acumen: 16/20
Style: 16/20
People management: 17/20
Communication: 16/20
History/achievements: 6/10
X factor: 7/10
TOTAL: 78/100
Arteta learned as an assistant under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in 2016-2019 after hanging up his boots, but has since forged his own identity in his first managerial job at former club Arsenal. Immediate success in the 2020 FA Cup ensured he was given time to develop his ideas and the reward was a maiden Premier League title last season, Arsenal’s first in 22 years.
Though Arteta kept the same emphasis on control, defensive shape and set-piece danger — as well as some unconventional training routines — the main difference last year was arguably that he allowed his players more flexibility. Some excellent “win now” recruitment (rather than focusing on players of potential) gave him a squad depth that provided elite quality in every position, and his tactical pivot away from a rigid 4-3-3 toward a more adaptable 4-2-3-1 gave them more room to shine. He was even unafraid to turn to youth — such as blooding 16-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman, who saved them late on in the season against Everton — when needed.
In essence, though, Arteta’s defensive organization and game management were the two most crucial factors in the title winning campaign. Arsenal conceded only 27 Premier League goals and kept 19 clean sheets, adding a record 18 corner goals and grinding out eight 1-0 wins in the process, as he leaned more on substance than style as the season progressed. Defeats in the Champions League final (to PSG) and Carabao Cup final (to Man City) did reveal some shortcomings, but also verified that the Gunners are only a small margin away from further success.
2. Pep Guardiola, 55, Unattached
Coaching acumen: 18/20
Style: 16/20
People management: 17/20
Communication: 17/20
History/achievements: 9/10
X factor: 8/10
TOTAL: 85/100
Guardiola signed off at Manchester City as one of the most successful managers in Premier League history. Four of his six titles came in a row (the first team to manage it) and he delivered a long-awaited Champions League trophy in 2023, along with eight domestic cups. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is one of the main reasons why City are now a genuine world power — alongside a total transfer spend of over €3 billion since 2008’s Abu Dhabi takeover — and he leaves behind a winning culture and stylistic blueprint that will stand the club in good stead in the future.
But despite winning a domestic cup double, it was slightly underwhelming 2025-26 campaign as City spent much of the league season chasing Arsenal, never quite matching their solidity or building real momentum. This was partly because the squad was (and still is) being rebuilt, and partly because a more direct approach left the side looking stretched as attacking cohesion was no longer as smooth.
An example of this was when Real Madrid eliminated City in the Champions League knockout stage for a third straight year. Guardiola set his side up in a loaded 4-2-2-2 for the first leg at the Bernabéu, starting wingers Jérémy Doku, Savinho and Antoine Semenyo together and sacrificing midfield balance to attack Madrid with pace. Instead, superstar striker Erling Haaland became isolated, the crosses found nobody in the box and the shape behind the attack was exposed to transitions as City lost 3-0.
Possession-based attacks, strong pressing, tactical fouls to break up an opponent’s momentum, and inverted full backs playing in midfield have all formed a basis for Guardiola’s constantly evolving style over the years. But where football’s most influential and innovative coach goes from here is anyone’s guess.
1. Luis Enrique, 56, Paris Saint-Germain
Coaching acumen: 17/20
Style: 18/20
People management: 18/20
Communication: 18/20
History/achievements: 8/10
X factor: 8/10
TOTAL: 87/100
Luis Enrique knows how to win; his 22 trophies in 15 years as a manager across spells with Roma, Barcelona, Celta Vigo and Spain show as much. But last year’s No. 1 on this list showed in 2025-26 that his continued success isn’t running on autopilot. The previous season’s PSG team might have represented a purer expression of his style — with relentless pressing, sustained possession and waves of smooth attacks in a fluid 4-3-3 — but this version was harder to play against and still secured another Champions League title.
One example of the more adaptable side to Luis Enrique came against Bayern Munich in the UCL semifinals, when PSG had just 40% possession over two legs, sat deeper and hit the Germans on the counter to win 6-5 on aggregate.
Another difference was how Luis Enrique broadened his attack. Indeed, PSG relied less on a fixed front three players or a single source of goals, with Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Lee Kang-In and Senny Mayulu rotating through forward roles while the fullbacks regularly pushed into midfield and beyond to support. The result was a more multifaceted attack, a greater threat off the bench, and a more complete team ethic.
PSG were less convincing domestically, scoring fewer league goals and losing more matches, while a shock Coupe de France exit to Paris FC was a reminder that low blocks can still cause Luis Enrique problems. But this was another defining season for the Spaniard. Though PSG were not as overwhelmingly dominant on the pitch as before, they were more resourceful and mature, and because of what Luis Enrique has done they are still the team to beat in world football.
