Top 8 best young football managers today

There are many experienced managers in football who have seen it all and achieved all that needs to be achieved in football. However, in the modern game, more and more best young football managers are asserting themselves as one of the elite. Some have made an effort to manage a big team by impressing in the lower leagues, while some have been lucky enough to be allowed to manage in one of the biggest leagues in the world. Today, let Premiumsoccertips.net take a look at the top 8 best young football managers through the article below!

Top 8 best young football managers

1. Arne Slot

Leading the list of the world’s best young football coaches is the oldest, at 45 years old, Arne Slot. The Dutchman, until now only led his hometown club, initially impressing at AZ Alkmaar before being appointed as the coach of Feyenoord before the Eredivisie 2021/22 campaign. Slot guided Feyenoord to a third-place finish in his first season at the helm, a significant improvement from the previous season’s fifth-place finish. European football returned to De Kuip, and supporters couldn’t help but be excited about the club’s future under Slot’s leadership.

That excitement materialized as Feyenoord marched to the Eredivisie title in 2022/23, finishing seven points ahead of PSV Eindhoven. Feyenoord ended the season with 82 points, only losing twice throughout the campaign. Feyenoord’s triumph marked their first league title since the 16/17 season, making the success even more notable. Slot brought a free-flowing style of football to Feyenoord, a style that Tottenham Hotspur had previously shown interest in regarding the Dutch coach. Slot also impressed in the 2023/24 season with his team currently sitting second in the Eredivisie.

2. Will Still

Born in Belgium to English parents, Still was a relatively unknown figure when appointed as the coach of Reims in October 2022, after being promoted from assistant manager, a position he held since July 2021. Still garnered attention as he was only 30 years old at the time of his appointment, and the club was fined €25,000 (£21,000) for each game he managed as Still did not possess the UEFA Pro License. In March 2023, Still revealed he had begun a course related to coaching, so Reims would no longer be penalized.

After taking the reins two months into the 2022/23 campaign, Still guided Reims to an 11th-place finish. During that time, Still’s side went unbeaten for 17 games, setting a new record in Ligue 1. The 2023/24 season witnessed Still overseeing his first full campaign in France’s top flight, and he continued to impress. Reims currently have a chance of clinching a European spot as they sit in 9th place, five points ahead of 5th-placed Lille. Achieving European qualifications would be a significant feat for Reims, who haven’t had a European campaign since 1963.

3. Francesco Farioli

After playing for Turkish club Alanyaspor, Farioli was appointed as the coach of OGC Nice before the 2023/24 campaign. His transition to management, similar to Still at Reims, wasn’t the most conventional. The Italian studied philosophy and later sports science at university. Farioli began his football career as a goalkeeper coach with Margine Coperta from 2009 to 2011.

In a league mostly dominated by Paris Saint-Germain, who won 7 out of their last 9 matches, Farioli achieved remarkable success at Nice, with the team currently sitting second only to PSG. The accomplishment is even more impressive as Nice finished 9th in the 2022/23 season, their highest since 2014/15 when they finished 3rd in the 2016/17 season.

4. Andoni Iraola

Before his appointment at Bournemouth ahead of the 2023/24 season, Iraola was highly regarded for his work at Rayo Vallecano. During his time at Vallecano, he led the club to La Liga promotion in 2021 and in the 2022/23 campaign, Vallecano reached the final 4 of the Copa del Rey, a feat achieved only once before, 40 years ago. Iraola was supposed to move to Leeds United in February 2023, but Vallecano refused to allow the Championship club to speak to their manager.

Iraola began his tenure at Bournemouth in an unstable manner, securing their first win of the season in their 10th game against Burnley on October 28, 2023. Since their first win of the season, Bournemouth has impressed and adapted well to Iraola’s style of play. This method has them in contention for a top-half finish in the 2023/24 season.

5. Vincent Kompany

Changing Burnley’s style from what the previous manager, Sean Dyche, had instilled in the players for so long was a challenge for anyone replacing him. The former Manchester City captain, who had previously impressed at Anderlecht, was considered suitable for the job and was seen as someone who could lead the club back to the Premier League after their relegation from the Championship in the 2021/22 season.

With any relegation, there are bound to be changes within a football club to balance the financial losses incurred from dropping down a division. If Burnley fans had any worries going into their Championship season, they needn’t have worried. Kompany led the club to a championship in a somewhat emphatic style, with Burnley losing only three games all season and surpassing the 100-point mark, finishing with 101 points. Burnley became only the sixth team to achieve 100 points or more in a Championship season in a remarkable campaign. Kompany and Burnley struggled upon returning to the Premier League, having to fight for survival.

6. Edin Terzic

Terzic played over 100 games in Germany’s fourth division before becoming a scout and assistant coach for Borussia Dortmund’s youth team. He then served as an assistant coach under Slaven Bilic in Croatia in 2012 and followed Bilic to Besiktas and West Ham United in similar roles.

In 2018, Terzic returned to Borussia Dortmund to be Lucien Favre’s assistant coach and later became the interim coach in December 2020 after Favre was sacked. Terzic impressed during his time as interim coach with a win rate of 62.50%, guiding Dortmund to a third-place finish before becoming the permanent head coach. He then led them to consecutive second-place finishes, narrowly missing out on the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich on goal difference as both teams finished the season with 71 points. Borussia Dortmund faced more difficulties in the 2023/24 season, currently sitting fourth behind Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, and league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

7. Julian Nagelsmann

Arguably the biggest name on the list and one of the most sought-after coaches in football today. Nagelsmann began his managerial career at TSG Hoffenheim before the 2016/17 season, helping them to an impressive fourth-place finish, a significant improvement from their previous 15th-place finish, leading to third and ninth-place finishes in subsequent seasons as Nagelsmann began to establish himself as one of the brightest young coaches around.

His tenure at Hoffenheim led to RB Leipzig appointing him as their coach before the 2019/20 season, a campaign that saw them reach the Champions League semi-finals and finish third in the league. He improved Leipzig further in the 2020/21 season, finishing second, trailing league leaders Bayern Munich by 12 points. Nagelsmann eventually moved to the Allianz Arena as Bayern’s manager ahead of the 2021/22 season.

He won the league and the DFB-Pokal in his first season in charge and retained the league title in his second season before being sacked midway through the campaign as Bayern trailed Borussia Dortmund by a point at the time. His dismissal became even stranger given Nagelsmann’s remarkable win rate of 71.4% at Bayern. In September 2023, Nagelsmann was appointed as the head coach of the German national team and will lead them in their first major tournament at Euro 2024.

8. Xabi Alonso

After starting his coaching career as a youth coach at Real Madrid and later coaching Real Sociedad’s B team, Alonso was given his first opportunity at the top level when appointed as Bayer Leverkusen’s coach in October 2022. After two months of domination in the season, Alonso impressed with his playing style and guided the club to a respectable 6th-place finish.

All eyes are on Leverkusen and Alonso heading into the 2023/24 season with uncertainty about what they can achieve. The former Liverpool midfielder surpassed all expectations before the season with a win on opening day against RB Leipzig. Leverkusen has a real chance to claim their first Bundesliga title and the first cup since 1993 as they face West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals. It promises to be an impressive and exciting end to the season for Alonso.

Conclude

The best young football managers are not only executives with broad vision and the ability to adapt quickly to the fluctuations of the football environment, but also those who are passionate and dedicated to their profession. With passion, dedication and talent, they are a constant inspiration for young generations who love football, proving that age does not determine success, but spirit and will are the most important factors to reach the top.

See also: The 10 highest paid managers football