Top 10 best soccer managers today

Managing a team requires a variety of diverse talents and extensive knowledge of the sport. Football managers must be able to work individually with players to motivate and discipline them. Their instructions need to be communicated clearly and effectively, and they must anticipate the physical and psychological condition of the players. Today with Premiumsoccertips find out the top 10 best soccer managers loved today!

Top 10 best soccer managers

1. Manuel Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini once made headlines when he was sacked by Real Madrid in 2010 to make way for José Mourinho. He accumulated 96 points in the league that season. However, Pellegrini’s greatest achievements came at Villarreal and Malaga. He led Villarreal to a third-place finish in La Liga in 2005 and guided them to the semifinals of the Champions League the following season. Later, he guided Villarreal to a second-place finish in La Liga in 2008, displacing Barcelona from the top 2.

Following his stint at Real Madrid, Pellegrini took over Malaga and led them to a fourth-place finish in the league table in his first season. In 2013, he took them to the quarterfinals of the Champions League before being appointed as the manager of Manchester City. At City, he won the Premier League title and two domestic cups.

After leaving Man City in 2016, Pellegrini had a brief spell in China and a disappointing year with West Ham before returning to his best working ground, Spain. Pellegrini took charge of Real Betis in 2020 and brought home their first trophy in 17 years: the Copa del Rey (domestic cup) in 2022.

2. Mircea Lucescu

Mircea Lucescu speaks seven languages and managed Shakhtar Donetsk from 2004 to 2016, leading the Ukrainian team to numerous domestic titles and the 2009 Europa League. During his tenure, Shakhtar became a formidable force in European football, reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2011.

Lucescu won 13 national championships and 10 domestic cups during his playing time in Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. In 2016, he left Shakhtar to coach the Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg. He also coached the Turkish national team and was appointed as the head coach of Dynamo Kyiv in 2020.

3. Luciano Spalletti

It was a long journey to the top for Luciano Spalletti, who most recently led a soaring Napoli. He began his managerial career in 1993 with Empoli in the Italian third division. Within 5 years, he led them to the top flight (Serie A). Spalletti then took the long-standing mid-table club Udinese to a fourth-place finish and a Champions League spot.

Spalletti was recruited by Roma in 2005, where he early introduced the 4-2-3-1 formation and the “false-9” system (later used by Pep Guardiola), a scheme he used to improve their performance and win two Coppa Italia (domestic cup) titles. He then won two league titles and a domestic cup in Russia with Zenit St. Petersburg.

Spalletti returned to Roma in 2016 and took them from mid-table to second place. He was then recruited by Inter Milan and led them back to the Champions League after six years of absence. Most recently, Spalletti coached Napoli, and in 2023, they clinched their first league title in 33 years (with 5 games remaining), playing an attacking brand of football praised throughout Europe.

4. Louis Van Gaal

Famous for his direct style of play, Louis Van Gaal is also known for his strict discipline. Described as arrogant and proud, he used a combination of art and authority to achieve remarkable success as a manager. With Ajax, he won the 1995 Champions League, the 1992 UEFA Cup, 3 national championships, and 1 domestic cup. At Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he added 3 national championships and 1 domestic cup.

Remarkably, he also led AZ to the Dutch Eredivisie title in 2009. Van Gaal then led the underrated Dutch national team to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup before taking over as the manager of Manchester United. However, his disappointing tenure at United included an FA Cup triumph in 2016.

After a brief “retirement,” Van Gaal returned to lead the Netherlands in 2021. At the 2022 World Cup, they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina in the quarterfinals. He will step down as head coach after the tournament.

5. Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte is a former Italian footballer who spent much of his career at Juventus and represented his country 20 times. His work ethic as a player reflects the effort he expects from the players he manages. Conte plays with wing-backs in a 5-3-2 formation and selects versatile players to fit his system.

In the 2011–12 season, he led Juventus to the Serie A title without losing a single match. Conte stayed at Juventus for three seasons (winning Serie A in each season) before leading Italy’s

Conte joined Chelsea in 2016 and won the Premier League in his first season, setting a then-record of 30 wins in the league. He also won the FA Cup in 2018 before taking over Inter Milan in 2019. At Inter, Conte won the 2021 Serie A, ending Juventus’s dominance under Ronaldo, who led them to 9 league titles. Afterward, he had a two-year stint at Tottenham, ending in 2023 after expressing dissatisfaction with the players and club’s operations.

6. José Mourinho

Portuguese manager José Mourinho is famous for his well-organized defenses and the physical strength of his teams. He was a physical education teacher before gaining invaluable coaching experience under legends Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal.

Mourinho has an impressive record, winning 8 league titles and 4 domestic cups with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, and Real Madrid. He also won the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions League in 2004 with Porto, the Champions League in 2010 with Inter, and the Europa League in 2017 with Manchester United.

After a second turbulent spell at Chelsea, Mourinho became the manager of Manchester United in 2016 and won the Europa League in 2017. However, he was sacked in 2018 due to poor league performance. Mourinho took over Tottenham in 2019, but after a similar poor run in the league, he returned to Italy in 2021 to manage Roma. In 2022, he won the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma.

7. Diego Simeone

Diego Simeone is perhaps the most sought-after manager in football. Before gaining fame as the manager of Atletico Madrid, he won two league titles in his native Argentina. Upon arriving in Spain, he revitalized an underperforming Atletico side, taking them to fifth place in the league table. He also guided them to win the 2012 Europa League.

In his first season as a manager, his team defeated Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup before winning the Spanish domestic cup in 2013. Simeone’s greatest achievement as Atletico Madrid manager came when he won the Spanish La Liga title in 2014, finishing ahead of both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Simeone’s consistent success in Europe has only been limited by narrow losses to Real Madrid in the Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016. However, his Atletico side won both the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2018. Simeone repeated his greatest triumph by winning the Spanish La Liga title again in 2021.

8. Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp changed Borussia Dortmund’s fortunes from the outset of his career, leading them to the national title in 2011 and 2012, as well as the German Cup in 2012. Klopp’s era ended Bayern Munich’s unquestioned dominance and restored Dortmund to a strong European football force. Klopp’s fast counter-attacking style helped Dortmund go unbeaten for 28 matches in 2012 and reach the Champions League final in 2013.

After taking over Liverpool, Klopp led the club to three national cup finals, including the 2018 Champions League, but they were defeated in both. Klopp then won the Champions League final in 2019, starting his trophy run. He also won the UEFA Super Cup, World Club Cup, and the 2020 Premier League, ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for another league title. In 2022, his Liverpool side won both domestic cups in England.

9. Pep Guardiola

After a distinguished playing career as a defensive midfielder for Barcelona, Josep Guardiola was appointed as the coach of the club’s B team in 2007. A year later, he was appointed as the coach of the first team. After making radical and daring changes in football strategy, the club achieved a treble in his first season. Pep went on to win 3 La Liga titles, 2 domestic cups, 3 Super Cups, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups, and 2 Club World Cups (14 titles in 4 seasons).

Guardiola became the manager of Bayern Munich in 2013. He won the domestic double in his first season and again in 2016, but he never reached the Champions League final in his three years at the club. In total, he won another 7 titles with Bayern.

In 2016, Guardiola took over Manchester City. After a trophyless season, they impressively won the league, setting records for points, wins, and goals scored in Premier League history. In the following season, he became the first manager to achieve a domestic treble.

City dominated English football under Guardiola, winning 5 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, and 2 Community Shields. In 2023, Pep finally won his third Champions League title, defeating Inter Milan in the final. Overall, Guardiola’s team is known for possession, relentless pressure, and superb creativity.

10. Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti honed his talents as an assistant coach under Italian legend Arrigo Sacchi. This launched a successful career. When Ancelotti won the 2014 Champions League with Real Madrid, he became the only current manager to have won this tournament three times. In 2022, he won his fourth title (again with Real Madrid). Previously, he had won twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007.

Ancelotti’s illustrious career includes championships in Italy, England, France, Germany, and Spain, with Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, making him the only coach to win all five major European leagues. He also won domestic cups with Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid. Ancelotti surprisingly took over the English club Everton in 2020 and improved their form, but he quickly returned to Real Madrid, where he won the league and Champions League in his first season back.

Ancelotti’s management style is flexible and adaptive. He plays formations that suit his players’ characteristics. With 26 titles to his name, he is one of the most decorated managers on this list.

Conclude

Thus, in the world of football, there are best soccer managers who are considered monuments with impressive achievements and far-reaching influence. From winning prestigious trophies to building unique styles of play, these top coaches are not only leaders of the team but also symbols of creativity and leadership. Those are the people who have contributed no less to the prosperity of this sport and left a deep mark in the hearts of fans.

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