Ever wondered who the masterminds behind the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat football matches are? As Who Go Here journeys through the dynamic and competitive world of football in 2023, it’s time to spotlight the tacticians and strategists orchestrating the beautiful game.
This article ranks and explores the 50 Best Football Coaches, revealing the brains and brawn molding today’s football stars and legendary plays.
From tactical geniuses to motivational maestros, get ready to meet the top-tier coaches making waves in the football arena this year.
Contents
- Top Football Coaches In Rank
- Our List of Best Football Coaches And Managers In Detail
- 1. Carlo Ancelotti – $50 million
- 2. Jurgen Klopp – $50 million – $55 million
- 3. Mikel Arteta – $25 million
- 4. Pep Guardiola – $60 million
- 5. Thomas Tuchel – £15 million
- 6. Unai Emery – $250 million
- 7. Simone Inzaghi – $5 million to $6 million
- 8. Diego Simeone – $130 million
- 9. Luis Enrique – $80 million
- 10. Stefano Pioli – $5 Million
- 11. Jose Mourinho – $120 million
- 12. Erik ten Hag – $10.9 million
- 13. Maurizio Sarri – $5 Million
- 14. Mauricio Pochettino – $12 million
- 15. Julian Nagelsmann – $5 million
- 16. Didier Deschamps – $245 million
- 17. Luciano Spalletti – €2.5 million
- 18. Lionel Scaloni – $5 million
- 19. Zinedine Zidane – $120 million
- 20. Antonio Conte – $12 million
- 21. Walid Regragui
- 22. Oliver Glasner
- 23. Dorival Junior
- 24. Abel Ferreira
- 25. Hugo Ibarra
- 26. Joachim Löw
- 27. Tite
- 28. Fernando Santos
- 29. Vicente Del Bosque
- 30. Roberto Martínez
- 31. José Pékerman
- 32. Marc Wilmots
- 33. Gareth Southgate
- 34. Roberto De Zerbi
- 35. Thomas Frank
- 36. Ange Postecoglou
- 37. Massimiliano Allegri
- 38. Ronald Koeman
- 39. Fabio Capello
- 40. Rafael Benitez
- 41. Hansi Flick
- 42. Guus Hiddink
- 43. Marco Rose
- 44. Giovanni van Bronckhorst
- 45. Gennaro Gattuso
- 46. Paulo Fonseca
- 47. Leonardo Jardim
- 48. Oscar Tabarez
- 49. Santiago Solari
- 50. Dean Smith
- Conclusion
Top Football Coaches In Rank
| No. | Coach | Real Name | Nationality | Birth Date | Club/Team |
| 1 | Carlo Ancelotti | Carlo Ancelotti Cavaliere OMRI, Ufficiale OSI | Italian | June 10, 1959 | Real Madrid |
| 2 | Jurgen Klopp | Jürgen Norbert Klopp | German | June 16, 1967 | Liverpool FC |
| 3 | Mikel Arteta | Mikel Arteta Amatriain | Spanish | March 26, 1982 | Bayern München |
| 4 | Pep Guardiola | Josep Pep Guardiola Sala | Spanish | January 18, 1971 | Manchester City |
| 5 | Thomas Tuchel | Thomas Tuchel | German | August 29, 1973 | Chelsea FC |
| 6 | Unai Emery | Unai Emery Etxegoien | Spanish | November 3, 1971 | Aston Villa |
| 7 | Simone Inzaghi | Simone Inzaghi | Italian | April 5, 1976 | Inter Milan |
| 8 | Diego Simeone | Diego Pablo Simeone | Argentine | April 28, 1970 | Atletico Madrid |
| 9 | Luis Enrique | Luis Enrique Martínez García | Spanish | May 8, 1970 | Paris SG |
| 10 | Stefano Pioli | Stefano Pioli | Italian | October 20, 1965 | AC Milan |
| 11 | Jose Mourinho | José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix | Portuguese | January 26, 1963 | AS Roma |
| 12 | Erik ten Hag | Erik ten Hag | Dutch | February 2, 1970 | Ajax |
| 13 | Maurizio Sarri | Maurizio Sarri | Italian | January 10, 1959 | Lazio |
| 14 | Mauricio Pochettino | Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero | Argentine | March 2, 1972 | Chelsea |
| 15 | Julian Nagelsmann | Julian Nagelsmann | German | July 23, 1987 | Bayern Munich |
| 16 | Didier Deschamps | Didier Claude Deschamps | French | October 15, 1968 | France National Team |
| 17 | Luciano Spalletti | Luciano Spalletti | Italian | March 7, 1959 | Napoli |
| 18 | Lionel Scaloni | Lionel Sebastián Scaloni | Argentine | May 16, 1978 | Argentina National Team |
| 19 | Zinedine Zidane | Zinedine Yazid Zidane | French | June 23, 1972 | Rodez AF |
| 20 | Antonio Conte | Antonio Conte | Italian | July 31, 1969 | Tottenham Hotspur |
Now, we will embark on a detailed journey through the careers and impact of the top soccer coaches and managers, delving into their information and contributions to the beautiful game.
Our List of Best Football Coaches And Managers In Detail
1. Carlo Ancelotti – $50 million
Team: Real Madrid
Nationality: Italian.
Strategies:
- During his tenure at AC Milan, Carlo Ancelotti employed a creative play approach, making several changes to the team’s squad. For instance, he converted attacking midfielder Andrea Pirlo to a defensive midfielder, positioning him as a deep-lying playmaker in a 4–3–1–2 or 4–1–2–1–2 formation.
- Devised a unique 4–3–2–1 system known as the Christmas Tree formation after the departure of striker Andriy Shevchenko. In this formation, a lone striker was supported by two attacking midfielders, in front of a three-man midfield with a creative playmaker supported by two hard-working defensive midfielders.
2. Jurgen Klopp – $50 million – $55 million
Team: Liverpool FC
Nationality: German
Strategies:
- Heavy metal football characterized by high energy, trust, accountability, and clear communication.
- Emphasizes a high defensive line and organized pressing in packs.
- Jurgen Klopp known for switching formations (4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-4) to maintain a high press and disrupt the opposition’s defensive shape.
3. Mikel Arteta – $25 million
Team: Arsenal FC
Nationality: Spanish
Strategies:
- Mikel Arteta is known for defending in a 4-1-4-1 formation to limit passes into central midfield, forcing long play.
4. Pep Guardiola – $60 million
Team: Manchester City
Nationality: Spanish
Strategies:
- Pep Guardiola aims to get the pivot on the ball, positioned centrally to progress play wide to a full-back or midfielder.
- Uses vertical and horizontal zones on the pitch, providing different routes to win the ball back and attack directly towards the goal.
Let’s check the soccer best formations to see how coaches are strategically setting up their teams for success this season.
5. Thomas Tuchel – £15 million
Team: Bayern Munich
Nationality: German
Strategies:
- Typically employs a 4-2-3-1/4-1-4-1 formation.
- Thomas Tuchel is known for tactical adjustments like instructing players to drop deep to form a 3-2-5 or 3-2-4-1 shape in possession.
- Aggressive pressing by wing-backs, supported by the nearest central defender.
6. Unai Emery – $250 million
Team: Aston Villa
Nationality: Spanish
Strategies:
- Employs a well-organized and compact 4-4-2 system with stern rest-defence.
- Unai Emery encourages a high press, featuring quick, strong defenders.
7. Simone Inzaghi – $5 million to $6 million
Team: Inter Milan
Nationality: Italian
Strategies:
- Simone Inzaghi Employs a 3–5–2 formation aiming for ball control and more possession through short passing and coordinated player movement.
8. Diego Simeone – $130 million
Team: Atletico Madrid
Nationality: Argentine
Strategies:
- Prefers a 4–4–2 formation.
- Diego Simeone emphasizes aggressive defense with high upfield pressing in groups, tough tackles, and quick transitions to offense.
9. Luis Enrique – $80 million
Team: Paris SG
Nationality: Spanish
Strategies:
- Luis Enrique employs a standard 4-3-3 formation, preferring players comfortable on the ball across all positions.
- Focuses on constantly penetrating the opponent’s defensive zone rather than patient deep play.
10. Stefano Pioli – $5 Million
Team: AC Milan
Nationality: Italian
Strategies:
- Utilizes vertical balls to quickly transition into goal-scoring positions.
- Stefano Pioli encourages the goalkeeper to play short and receive a return pass to advance the team up the pitch.
11. Jose Mourinho – $120 million
Team: AS Roma
Nationality: Portuguese
Strategies: Jose Mourinho employs a 4-2-3-1 formation: 2 holding midfielders, 3 attacking players, 1 lone striker.
12. Erik ten Hag – $10.9 million
Team: Manchester United
Nationality: Dutch
Strategies:
- Erik ten Hag emphasizes possession-based tactics with patient build-up play, various rotations, and a dynamic high press.
- Employs a 3-1-6 formation to create wide spaces, with three defenders, a lone midfield pivot, and six players occupying the opposing defensive line.
13. Maurizio Sarri – $5 Million
Team: Lazio
Nationality: Italian
Strategies: Maurizio Sarri is one dimensional football.
14. Mauricio Pochettino – $12 million
Team: Chelsea
Nationality: Argentine
Strategies:
- Mauricio Pochettino utilizes narrow attacking lines, dynamic full-backs, and fast one-touch football.
- Demanding double training sessions to ingrain intricate automatisms in players.
15. Julian Nagelsmann – $5 million
Team: Bayern Munich
Nationality: German
Strategies:
- Julian Nagelsmann emphasizes swift ball movement through half-spaces and central passing lanes.
- Prefers to prevent play down the wings, focusing more on team relations than the opponent.
- Often employs a 4-2-3-1 formation with wide players on the same wing as their stronger foot, creating central space for key players.
16. Didier Deschamps – $245 million
Team: France National Team
Nationality: French
Strategies:
- Adopts a flexible 4-2-3-1 system, adjusting formations to maximize individual player strengths.
- Didier Deschamps was also known to switch to a three-at-the-back formation (3-4-3) with offensive (3-4-1-2) and defensive variants.
17. Luciano Spalletti – €2.5 million
Team: Napoli
Nationality: Italian
Strategies:
- Luciano Spalletti is known for maintaining possession under pressure with a strong midfield presence.
- Implements intense and aggressive play, pressing high to keep opponents away from goal.
18. Lionel Scaloni – $5 million
Team: Argentina National Team
Nationality: Argentine
Strategies:
- Employs a narrow 4-3-3 mid-block to limit access to opposition’s pivot players.
- Lionel Scaloni aims for dominance in transition phases both in attack and defense.
19. Zinedine Zidane – $120 million
Team: Previously Real Madrid, Currently Rodez AF
Nationality: French
Strategies:
- Zinedine Zidane advocates an ‘attractive attacking style’ with possession and speed as main principles.
- Emphasizes ball retention and dynamic gameplay with off-the-ball movements offering freedom from traditional roles.
20. Antonio Conte – $12 million
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Nationality: Italian
Strategies: Antonio Conte preferred tactical systems: three defenders, two wing-backs, one or two midfielders.
21. Walid Regragui
Current Team: Morocco national football team
Nationality: French/Moroccan
Birth Date: September 26, 1975
22. Oliver Glasner
Current Team: Eintracht Frankfurt
Nationality: Austrian
Birth Date: August 28, 1974
23. Dorival Junior
Current Team: Flamengo
Nationality: Brazilian
Birth Date: April 25, 1962
24. Abel Ferreira
Current Team: Palmeiras
Nationality: Portuguese
Birth Date: December 22, 1978
25. Hugo Ibarra
Current Team: Boca Juniors
Nationality: Argentine
Birth Date: April 3, 1974
26. Joachim Löw
Current Team: Germany national team
Nationality: German
Birth Date: February 3, 1960
27. Tite
Current Team: CR Flamengo
Nationality: Brazilian
Birth Date: May 25, 1961
28. Fernando Santos
Current Team: Portugal national football team
Nationality: Portuguese
Birth Date: October 10, 1954
Also Check: Fernando Santos Net Worth
29. Vicente Del Bosque
Current Team: Retired (previously managed the Spain national team)
Nationality: Spanish
Birth Date: December 23, 1950
30. Roberto Martínez
Current Team: Portugal national football team
Nationality: Spanish
Birth Date: July 13, 1973
Also Check: Roberto Martínez Net Worth
31. José Pékerman
Current Team: Venezuela national football team
Nationality: Argentine
Birth Date: September 3, 1949
32. Marc Wilmots
Current Team: Raja CA
Nationality: Belgian
Birth Date: February 22, 1969
33. Gareth Southgate
Current Team: England national football team
Nationality: English
Birth Date: September 3, 1970
Also Check: Gareth Southgate Net Worth
34. Roberto De Zerbi
Current Team: Brighton & Hove Albion
Nationality: Italian
Birth Date: June 6, 1979
35. Thomas Frank
Current Team: Brentford
Nationality: Danish
Birth Date: October 9, 1973
36. Ange Postecoglou
Current Team: Celtic
Nationality: Australian
Birth Date: August 27, 1965
Also Check: Ange Postecoglou Net Worth
37. Massimiliano Allegri
Current Team: Juventus
Nationality: Italian
Birth Date: August 11, 1967
Also Check: Massimiliano Allegri Net Worth
38. Ronald Koeman
Current Team: Netherlands national football team
Nationality: Dutch
Birth Date: March 21, 1963
Also Check: Ronald Koeman Net Worth
39. Fabio Capello
Current Team: Retired (Previously managed several teams including England and Russia national teams, and clubs like Real Madrid, AC Milan, etc.)
Nationality: Italian
Birth Date: June 18, 1946
40. Rafael Benitez
Current Team: Celta Vigo
Nationality: Spanish
Birth Date: April 16, 1960
41. Hansi Flick
Current Team: Germany national football team
Nationality: German
Birth Date: February 24, 1965
42. Guus Hiddink
Current Team: Retired (Previously managed numerous teams, including the Netherlands and South Korea national teams, and clubs like Chelsea and Real Madrid.)
Nationality: Dutch
Birth Date: November 8, 1946
43. Marco Rose
Current Team: RB Leipzig
Nationality: German
Birth Date: September 11, 1976
44. Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Current Team: Rangers F.C.
Nationality: Dutch
Birth Date: February 5, 1975
Giovanni van Bronckhorst Net Worth
45. Gennaro Gattuso
Current Team: Valencia CF
Nationality: Italian
Birth Date: January 9, 1978
46. Paulo Fonseca
Current Team: LOSC Lille
Nationality: Portuguese
Birth Date: March 5, 1973
47. Leonardo Jardim
Current Team: Al-Hilal
Nationality: Portuguese
Birth Date: August 1, 1974
48. Oscar Tabarez
Current Team: Uruguay national team
Nationality: Uruguayan
Birth Date: March 3, 1947
49. Santiago Solari
Current Team: The Last is Real Madrid
Nationality: Argentine
Birth Date: October 7, 1976
50. Dean Smith
Current Team: Norwich City (2022)
Nationality: English
Birth Date: March 19, 1971
Discover more talented and wealthiest soccer coaches in this list below:
- Peter Bosz
- André Villas-Boas
- Laurent Blanc
- Sérgio Conceição
- Mircea Lucescu
- Mano Menezes
- Pitso Mosimane
- Bruce Arena
- Marcel Koller
- Javier Aguirre
- Cuca
- Pim Verbeek
- Dick Advocaat
- Aliou Cissé
- Arsène Wenger
- Roberto Mancini
- Lucien Favre
- Ernesto Valverde
- Roy Hodgson
- Marcelino Garcia Toral
- Louis van Gaal
- Roger Schmidt
- Adi Hütter
- Jupp Heynckes
- Steven Gerrard
- Bruno Lage
- Chris Wilder
- Zlatko Dalic
- Senol Günes
- Bernd Schuster
- Claudio Ranieri
- Walter Mazzarri
- Jorge Sampaoli
- Ricardo Gareca
- Vladan Milojevic
- Tony Pulis
- Ricardo La Volpe
- Ramon Diaz
- Stephen Keshi
- Nuno Espírito Santo
- Hector Cuper
- Slaven Bilic
- Gerardo Martino
- Marcelo Gallardo
- Renato Gaúcho
- Martin O’Neill
- Bob Bradley
Conclusion
Reflecting on our exploration of the Top 50 Best Football Coaches in 2023, it’s clear that these individuals are more than just tacticians; they’re artists, psychologists, and leaders who inspire teams to achieve greatness.
Their influence extends beyond the pitch, impacting fans, communities, and the future of football. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a curious newbie to the sport, understanding the role of these coaches adds depth to your appreciation of the game.
Here’s to the coaches who continue to redefine strategy, teamwork, and success in the world of football!
