Managing a football team involves a broad variety of skills and a comprehensive understanding of the game. Managers should be able to work personally with players to motivate and discipline them, in addition to being tactically savvy.
Their instructions must be efficiently communicated, and they must anticipate their players’ physical and psychological conditions. The ability of a manager to make sensible replacements and tactical alterations during games is very important.
Managers must first acquire the respect of their players by guiding them properly. Many excellent tacticians fail because they lack leadership authority. Being both an artist and a drill sergeant requires a unique personality. This character is exemplified by the managers listed below.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 managers in the world
1. PEP GUARDIOLA
Josep Guardiola was promoted to manager of Barcelona’s B team in 2007. After a distinguished career as a defensive midfielder for the club. He was promoted to first team manager a year later. Barcelona won the treble in his first season after making drastic and risky changes to the first team and football strategy.
Pep ended up winning three La Liga titles, two domestic cups, three Super Cups, two Champions Leagues, two European super cups, and two World Club Cups in four seasons, accumulating 14 trophies.
Guardiola then took a year off to recover before taking over as manager of Bayern Munich in 2013. He won the domestic double his first season and again in 2016. But he never made it to a Champions League final in his tenure with Bayern.
Guardiola took over as manager of big-spending Manchester City in 2016. Following a trophy-less season, they won the Premier League with the most points, wins, and goals of any team in Premier League history. He became the first manager in history to win the domestic treble the following season.
Despite additional domestic titles, Guardiola has yet to achieve European success. With his best effort being a 2021 Champions League final defeat to Chelsea. Guardiola’s teams are known for maintaining possession, pressing relentlessly, and displaying sublime creativity.
2. SIR ALEX FERGUSON
Sir Alex Ferguson began his managerial career in 1974 with East Stirlingshire. Then he would go on to become one of the best managers of all time over the next 40 years. Ferguson joined United in November 1986 after working wonders with Aberdeen. There he won three Scottish league titles and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Following a rocky start as Manchester United manager, Fergie won the FA Cup in 1990 and never looked back.
He won 38 major trophies during his glittering 26-year reign at Old Trafford before shocking the world with his retirement announcement at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Ferguson added another League Cup to his collection in the 2009–10 season, defeating Aston Villa 2–1 in the final on 28 February 2010, United’s first ever successful knockout cup defence.
However, his hopes of winning a third European Cup were dashed a few weeks later when United were knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich on away goals.
And on the last day of the season, Chelsea beat United to the Premier League title, beating Wigan Athletic 8–0 and declaring United’s 4–0 win against Stoke City pointless.
So, where does Ferguson rank according to you, among the all-time great managers?
3. ARSENE WENGER
Arsene Wenger was Arsenal’s manager for 22 years. He promoted an offensive and fluid style of play. That helped the team gain popularity with neutral supporters. He has been criticized for his faith in youth and his unwillingness to bring in big names. Despite a lack of recent accomplishments, Wenger maintained his position.
In for two decades with Arsenal. He has been at the pinnacle of English football, winning three league crowns, seven FA Cups, and reaching the Champions League final in 2006.
In 2003–04, one of his Arsenal sides went the full season undefeated. With Monaco, Wenger also won the league and the domestic cup. In his managerial career, he was a wonderful icon.
4. JURGEN KLOPP
Earlier in his career, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp altered the fortunes of Borussia Dortmund, delivering them league victories in 2011 and 2012, as well as the German Cup in 2012. Under Klopp’s reign ended he ended Bayern Munich’s absolute domination and rebuilt Dortmund as a prominent power in European football.
He constructed a good team in all positions and valued a rapid counter-attacking style of play identical to Arsenal’s prime years.
Dortmund went 28 games undefeated in 2012 and reached the Champions League final in 2013. Klopp took over at Liverpool and led the team to three cup finals, including the 2018 Champions League, however they were all beaten.
Klopp went on to win the 2019 Champions League final, kicking off his prize collection. He went on to win the UEFA Super Cup, World Club Cup, and the 2020 Premier League, which ended Liverpool’s 30-year drought for another title.
5. CARLO ANCELOTTI
Carlo Ancelotti became the only presently active manager to have won the Champions League three times when he led Real Madrid to victory in 2014.
Ancelotti, who took over at Everton in 2020, surprised supporters by departing after one season to return to Real Madrid, where he won “La Liga” and the Champions League in his first season back.
In 2022, he won it a fourth time, this time again with Real Madrid, becoming him the first manager to accomplish so. He had previously won it twice with Milan, in 2003 and 2007.
Ancelotti’s spectacular career includes league victories in Italy, England, France, Germany, and Spain with Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, making him the only manager to have won all five European leagues. He has also won domestic championships with Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
Ancelotti’s managerial approach is versatile and adaptable. He utilizes tactics that are acceptable for the capabilities of his players. He is one of the most accomplished managers on this list, with 22 trophies beside his name.
Check out the list of the top 5 managers along with their achievements:
| Sr. no. | Managers | Achievements as Managers |
| 1 | Pep Guardiola | Three La Liga titles, two domestic cups, Three Super Cups, Two Champions Leagues, Two European super cups, and Two World club cups, Three Bundesliga, Four Premier Leagues, Four EFL, Two DFB Pokal, FA Cup, Two Community Shield |
| 2 | Sir Alex Ferguson | Thirteen Premier Leagues, Five FA Cups, Four EFL,Ten Community Shield, Two Champions League, One Club World Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Two Super Cup, Three Scottish Premier League, Four Scottish Cup, One Scottish League Cup, One European Cup |
| 3 | Arsene Wenger | Three Premier Leagues, Seven FA Cups, Ligue 1, Japanese Cup, Japanese Super Cup, Seven Community Shield |
| 4 | Jurgen Klopp | Champions League, Premier League, DFB Pokal, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, EFL, Two Bundesliga, Two German Super Cup |
| 5 | Carlo Ancelotti | La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Seria A, FA Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Italian Super Cup, Community Shield, Four Champions League, Two Club World Cup, Three UEFA Super Cup, Two German Super Cup |
Whom do you think are the best managers in the world right now?
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