Champions of Strategy: Best Football Coaches and Their Secrets

The impact of a great coach extends far beyond the goal. These visionary leaders are the architects of success, shaping strategies, inspiring players, and transforming teams into dynasties. From pioneering tactical innovations to crafting winning mentalities, the greatest football coaches have left an indelible mark on the sport. 

In this article, we delve into the lives and legacies of the most influential coaches in football history. Whether through legendary triumphs, groundbreaking strategies, or their profound influence on the game, these coaching icons have defined the essence of football excellence. 

Join us as we discuss the best coaches of all time and what makes them martyrs in the category. From their achievements to particularities and contributions to the sport, we will cover every aspect of their performance and reputation.

(Note: This is not an official ranking or list. It is a personal opinion based on their performances inside and outside the field.)

Table of Contents

• Champions of Strategy: Best Football Coaches and Their Secrets
  • What Makes a Football Coach Good
  • Best Coaches in Football History
  • Ever Dreamed of Becoming a Football Player or Manager?

What Makes a Football Coach Good

Being a great football manager or coach doesn’t resume only how many league titles they conquered. Highlighting as a world football coach takes effort, knowledge, and impact inside the field. From how fast you can adapt to the team to the key players selected for the match, everything impacts your performance and the match results. 

Most coaches also have a vast playing career, which contributes to knowing the game and the abilities you need to have to ensure wins for the team. Some of the greatest managers, like Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane, played on big teams, like Barcelona or Real Madrid, before becoming key names in the football coaching industry.

Developing game intelligence and strategic thinking are some of the most essential characteristics of a good manager or coach; this is where the best ones shine. They are above the average, can adapt to any play style, and ensure a title win for their team.

Another vital characteristic of this role is managing these personalities. The football environment can be really toxic and threatening, especially inside locker rooms, where each one is trying to be the best. Knowing how to manage this and ensure the healthiest relationships between players is indispensable. 

Carlo Ancelotti is a great coaching example when it comes to that. According to him, how players interact with each other inside and outside the field has a huge impact on results, so keeping things friendly is a critical part of a coach’s job.

We will also see how this translates to the real world, analyzing each coach in this list and how they ensure such above-average performance when compared to others. Make sure to check each of the top managers/coaches to better understand these qualities and how they apply to the field.

Best Coaches in Football History

Now, it’s time to see some of the best coaches ever. From their legacy to the sport to what makes them unique, we will cover every aspect of their performance and rank them to see who’s the definitive mastermind of football.

Remember that this is not an official ranking of their abilities and career results. It is a personal rank. Feel free to create your own and compare the results to see who’s the definitive superstar in management and coaching.

Here are the best coaches in football history:

14. Luis Enrique

• Age: 54 years old
• Current Team: Paris Saint-Germain

Reaching the top stages of the Champions League has never been a difficult task for him. Luis Enrique is known as the current coach of Paris Saint-Germain and one of the best coaches when it comes to adapting quickly.

His brilliant career started as a player, being part of some of the world’s leading clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona. With his presence in more than 500 official games for both of these clubs and his outstanding versatility, it was no surprise that he would coach the next generation of European football and become a top-tier professional on this field.

In April 2015, when he was already in the managerial career for Barcelona, he scored his 42th win in 50 games. With this, he became the best manager in the club’s history, setting a record that echoes more than any Premier League title or Champions League final result.

He also coached the Spanish football team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Sadly, the team was eliminated by the Morroco national team in the round of 16, marking his last performance for Spain before quitting.

13. Thomas Tuchel

• Age: 51 years old
• Current Team: None

Even though the last few months have been tough for Thomas Tuchel as a coach and manager, his achievements in football earned him a spot on this list. He is considered one of the best coaches in the world and a tactical innovator, achieving stunning performances at the European Cup and many other competitions.

His football player career was brief, and he retired at only 25 years old after a knee injury. In 2000, he officially started working as a coach for VfB Stuttgart.

After highlighting at domestic cups and winning numerous matches, he started coaching Borussia Dortmund. This was in 2014 and he won the DFB-Pokal in the same year. 

One of the main highlights of his career was in 2021, when he joined Chelsea and debuted, winning the Champions League. After winning the Champions League semi-final quite easily, he was already considered one of the best managers at the time, being named The Best FIFA Football Coach.

After such a fantastic performance, fans thought he would stay in the club for quite some time, but that was not the case. After a disagreement with the club’s owner, he was dismissed in 2022.

Due to his dismissal from Chelsea, he started coaching Bayern in 2023, on a two-year contract to substitute the previous manager, Julian Nagelsmann. His time at the club was marked by incredible victories and unexpected defeats on several occasions. This resulted in an early departure from the team as well. According to The Athletic, this was caused by several reasons, including his personality and his difficulty in creating bonds with players.

12. Stefano Pioli

• Age: 58 years old
• Current Team: AC Milan

When it comes to Italian names that shined in management, it is impossible not to mention Pioli. The coach has already worked for numerous first-league teams, including Inter Milan and others.

However, where his career really highlights is when talking about AC Milan.

Along with taking the team to the Champions League semi-final in 2022, they crushed almost every team in the competition, losing to Inter Milan in the semi-finals. It was the first time the team was classified into the competition in seven seasons.

His football history started very early as a player for Parma, the team from his home city. After a successful season, he caught the attention of some big teams and signed a contract with Juventus to play as a defender.

Even though his career as a player was marked by achievements, his managerial and coaching career is where he built his empire. Even though he started slowly and was known by many as just another football coach, with the passing of time, this stereotype has disappeared.

Milan is proof of that. Since his arrival at the team in 2019, he has shown himself to be a talented coach capable of mixing skill and elegance when developing strategies. He held the second-best win percentage among Milan coaches. The club became the fourth in the history of Serie A to win 10 of the 11 season starter games and the second team to ever win at least 17 away games in the same calendar year. After a brilliant career in the team, he announced that he’d be leaving by the end of 2024. 

It is still unknown if he’ll join another team or retire from the field. Regardless of which one, his legacy in the sports will last for years, making him known as one of the best coaches in the world.

11. Zinedine Zidane

• Age: 52 years old
• Current Team: None

After building one of the most successful football careers in the world as a player and becoming one of the best players of the 2000s, Zinedine Zidane still had much to offer the football world. He won more than three league titles during his career and was a star in every World Cup played, making his name known worldwide.

His managerial career started in 2014 and was entirely dedicated to Real Madrid, coaching and managing the team for five years. However, he’s not known only for managing one of Europe’s biggest teams. He’s one of the best coaches for creating an almost-perfect team, capable of beating every team from the Champions League and putting Real Madrid in every international stage possible.

His history as a coach is vast and includes some of the most thriving matches of European history, including a spot in the 2016 Champions League final after beating Manchester City in a tough game. He also ended Barcelona’s 39-win streak by beating the team in their own stadium, Camp Nou. In the next year, he won the Champions League, becoming the second person ever to win the tournament in the first two seasons as manager.

After leaving and returning to the team numerous times, he announced his definitive departure from Real Madrid in 2021. After the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the coach was approached by the United States team to become their coach in 2023, but he declined the offer.

10. Didier Deschamps

• Age: 55 years old
• Current Team: France

Winning a World Cup speaks for itself, but that’s just one of the achievements Deschamps made during his brilliant coaching career. He has been the manager and coach for the French football team for over a decade now, and his time on the team is filled with outstanding achievements.

Along with winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the French manager also made it to the 2022 World Cup finals, making a back-to-back run that few teams in history can brag about. But let’s go back in time to see other achievements he made as a coach.

He debuted as a manager for the Monaco team in 2001, and only two years later, he led the team to win Coupe de la Ligue. Not only that, but he also reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League final, being named League 1 Manager of the Year. It wasn’t his first title, especially considering his career as a player, which was filled with prizes and awards, also winning the UEFA Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, and taking the Series A titles for over two seasons.

The main characteristic of Deschamps’s management style is to create cohesive teams with a friendly environment between players. He believes that the player’s personality and style play a vital role in building the team’s strategy. He also doesn’t believe in overly controlling the players and likes to let the match unfold before giving precise instructions on what the players should do.

9. Lionel Scaloni

• Age: 46 years old
• Current Team: Argentina

After talking about the coach who led France to the 2022 FIFA Cup finals, let’s talk about the coach who eliminated them. Scaloni is the current coach for the Argentina national team and one of the best managers of this generation.

Just like all the others, he is a former football player whose career was marked by trophies and achievements. During his entire career, he played for Argentinian teams, without passing for Europe’s primary teams, like Man United and others. This doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good player. During his time as a player, he was consistent from the first to the last season he played, conquering Copa America and many other titles.

His managerial career started in 2016 when he got in charge of Sevilla and the Argentina Sub 20 teams. In just two years, he became the official coach and manager for Argentina’s main team, leading the team to its first international post in quite a few years. His main highlight was surely the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, Argentina’s first win in decades.

8. Xabi Alonso

• Age: 42 years old
• Current Team: Bayer Leverkusen

Back to the European football universe, we have Xabi Alonso, one of the most iconic coaches on this list. He’s the current coach of Bayer Leverkusen and showed to be a one-man management for the team, creating tactics and developing playstyles that surely worked wonders, guaranteeing numerous titles for the team.

This is not his first success. His highlights started when he was a player, passing through some of the continent’s main leagues, including Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and others. He also played for Spain’s national team and conquered numerous achievements.

His career as a player might be great, but coaching is definitely where he highlighted the most. Along with coaching Leverkusen, he led the team to its first Bundesliga title in its first year of management. Not only that, but he consecrated the team as the only one in Bundesliga history to become undefeated throughout the entire competition. Along with that, he also made it to the finals of the Europa League, which he lost to Atlanta. All of that was done in only two years, showing how powerful his management skills are.

7. Unai Emery

• Age: 52 years old
• Current Team: Aston Villa

The name Unai Emery is indeed known by the football community, especially in Europe. He’s not only the manager of the Premier League club Aston Villa but also one of the best coaches in the world, training some of the biggest teams in the world, like Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and many others.

His managerial career started in smaller teams in Europe, like Spartak Moscow and Valencia. But this didn’t last long. Due to his advanced strategy skills and highlights as a coach, he quickly escalated to larger teams, and in June 2016, he officially started coaching Paris Saint-Germain.

However, his biggest achievement in the manager role came when coaching Sevilla. While in the club, he made the impressive achievement of winning three consecutive Europa Leagues and marking history as one of the best managers to ever coach the team.

Another club that the manager highlighted is Arsenal. Even though a loss to Man City marked his first game for the club, this doesn’t represent the rest of his campaign for Arsenal.

Under his command, Arsenal won 11 games in a row, their best run since 2007.

His most recent team, Aston Villa, is also one of the biggest highlights of his career. He joined the team in 2022, and even though he coached only two matches for the year in the club, fans could already notice the difference in strategy and playstyle. His contract was extended until 2027, and the entire football community continues to notice his efforts.

6. Diego Simeone

• Age: 54 years old
• Current Team: Atletico Madrid

Simeone is another unforgettable name when discussing the best football coaches. He is currently in charge of Atletico Madrid, but his contributions to the sport go far beyond that.

His player career included some of the world’s most important clubs, including Atletico Madrid and others, like Inter Milan.

While playing for European teams, he won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercoppa Italiana, and many other tournaments. His career as a player lasted decades, and in 2006, he retired from playing football.

But this was the beginning of his biggest sports highlights. In the same year, he started managing Racing Club, the same team that he played for in 2006, and soon after, he was already managing some of the biggest clubs in America, like River Plate.

In 2011, he officially signed a contract with Atletico Madrid, the team he coaches up to this day, after over a decade. Shortly after, the team started to register some of the best performances ever, including eight straight victories in La Liga. This is the best result in the club’s history and shows how effective Simeone’s management is.

A similar campaign happened in the Champions League. The team managed to stay at the top of the board and reach the quarter-finals. This was the first time the team conquered this spot since 1996.

5. Simone Inzaghi

• Age: 48 years old
• Current Team: Inter Milan

Another widely known name in the coaching and management world is Inzaghi. The Italian footballer has a vast career in the sports world, both as a player and coach.

During his professional player career, he acted in some of the main clubs of Italy, including Lazio, Sampdoria, and others. He and his teams were responsible for winning three Coppa Italias, one Supercoppa Italiana, and one UEFA Super Cup.

He is best known as a manager for his career at Inter Milan. Since 2021, he has been an important part of the team and responsible for key moments in the club’s recent campaigns.

He has already won two Supercoppas Italianas and two Coppas Italianas in a row. Simone was also responsible for guiding Inter to its first Champions League final in 13 years.

His awards are proof of his fantastic management and strategy planning. They also guaranteed him third place in the 2023 Best FIFA Men’s Coach award. His contract with Inter Milan was renovated to 2025, so we can still expect much more from this fantastic professional loved by its supporters.

4. Mikel Arteta

• Age: 42 years old
• Current Team: Arsenal

Big results in a short time define Mikel Arteta’s management. Some coaches have an extensive portfolio of clubs, going from the south coast of Spain to North London, passing through all kinds of clubs and teams. This is not the case for Arteta. Throughout his entire career as a coach, he managed one team: Arsenal.

Starting as a manager in one of the largest clubs in Europe should already be proof of his abilities as a professional. However, his results also help reinforce this point.

Some might say that Arsenal wasn’t his first management job, as he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager at Man United. But his first real role managing every team aspect was in Arsenal.

His first win for the team happened in 2020, in a match against Manchester United and his former management colleague. This game was part of the FA Cup and one of many victories. This year, Arsenal won the FA Cup for the fourth time in seven years. This made Arteta the first player to win the tournament as a captain and coach.

The coach created a solid environment and campaign for the team over the years. He focused mainly on the good work environment and relationships between the players.

3. Carlo Ancelotti

• Age: 65 years old
• Current Team: Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti is a football legend, especially when it comes to coaching and management, marking its name in the history of some of the biggest European clubs. He currently holds the record as the UEFA Champions League best manager of all time, winning the trophy seven times: two as a player and five as a coach.

He is known for quick strategic thinking and creating strategies during the game to adapt as fast as possible. These efforts were responsible for beating some of the strongest teams in the world, including Manchester United from Sir Alex Ferguson, Inzhagi’s Milan, and many others.

Thanks to that, he won the UEFA Super Cup five times, the FIFA Club World Cup three times, and won trophies in all of Europe’s top five leagues, whether as a player or coach. If I was to list all his achievements and trophies, this article would be endless.

Undoubtedly, he is a force of nature and a strategic mind like any other. It is a well-deserved spot in the top 3 names of this list.

He is well regarded by all his managerial history, but the two clubs where his abilities shined the most were definitely AC Milan and Real Madrid. Most of his achievements were in these two clubs and will be remembered forever.

2. Jürgen Klopp

• Age: 57 years old
• Current Team: Liverpool

Klopp is one of the most famous names in coaching and also one of the most feared by competitors. The ex-player is widely regarded as one of the best and is responsible for taking Liverpool to a whole new level in football.

His way of thinking is formidable and can quickly change the game in his favor. He is also well-known for Gegenpressing, a practice focused on taking back possession of the ball after losing it. His pressing tactics are very successful, and he plays a much more aggressive style on the field than other teams.

Klopp drove Liverpool to the finals of the Champions League three times in five years and won one of them. He also won the FIFA Coach of the Year award in 2019 and 2020, back-to-back.

Even though he is most regarded for his work in Liverpool, his time teaching Borussia Dortmund is also full of highlights. In his first season on the team, he already secured the German Supercup in 2008, defeating Bayern, one of the strongest teams in the entire country. This wasn’t the only time both teams encountered each other on the field under his command. He won two league titles, both of them in which Bayern was the crowd’s favorite to win the trophy.

All these achievements and aggressive playstyle are described by him as “playing heavy metal football.” It might not have the finesse of other strategies, but it is undoubtedly doing the job.

1. Pep Guardiola

• Age: 53 years old
• Current Team: Manchester City

The #1 spot in this list shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Pep Guardiola is well regarded as the best coach nowadays, collecting achievements and awards unlike anyone else. His football legacy is undeniable, as he is the youngest manager ever to win the UEFA Champions League.

Moreover, he holds the record for most consecutive wins in La Liga and Bundesliga and is the only coach in the world to win the Continental Treble twice.

When it comes to his strategies, Guardiola is very creative and likes to innovate on the field, making the enemy team not know what to expect from his next move. Like Klopp, his style is usually more aggressive, forcing the game to the opposing side and focusing on taking back possession of the ball as soon as the team loses it.

He is undeniably the most efficient and creative coach out there, and his efforts inspire his team and any football player who wants to be a coach in the future. It is a well-deserved #1 place and a legacy to the sport that will never be forgotten.

Ever Dreamed of Becoming a Football Player or Manager?

Now, it’s time for you to become the best manager and player in the world with this thriving online experience. FootballTeam is the definitive game for those looking for a competitive way to showcase their abilities and knowledge regarding the sport. 

Prepare to face players from all over the world trying to reach the top of the board as the best player in the world. Create your character and choose your position. The game is fully customizable, and you can manage every single aspect of your career and team.

Make the right choices and build the perfect team to take you to victory and conquer the championship. Your playing skills are not the only thing that matters. You’ll also act as a manager and coach, deciding what strategy to use and what each player will do during the game.

The game already has over a million registered players and more than 60 thousand teams to play against.

It’s the definitive experience for football lovers, and you can play with your friends anywhere you want, from mobile devices to desktops. The best part is that it is completely free, and you can play it right now by visiting the official page. Prepare to become the best player and manager in the world and a legend.