TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The field is as varied as it is extraordinary, and determining the best football managers in the world has become more nuanced than ever. Seasoned tacticians are enjoying resurgent form in 2024, while an ambitious new wave of coaches is rapidly reshaping the managerial elite heading into 2025.
With the 2025-26 campaign already in motion, the sport has offered ample evidence of who truly belongs among its top strategists. Drawing insights from ESPN and GiveMeSport, we revisit and refine the rankings to spotlight the outstanding managers currently at the top.
The Best Football Managers in the World This Season
1. Luis Enrique - Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Enrique has re-established himself as one of the best football managers of his generation, once again proving his mastery of tactical reinvention. Long celebrated for guiding Barcelona to five trophies in 2015, he has now authored a new chapter of excellence in Paris, delivering PSG’s long-awaited first Champions League crown as part of a historic Treble.
Tasked with navigating the club through the uncertainty of a post-Kylian Mbappé era, Enrique defied expectations by transforming PSG into an even more cohesive and formidable force.
2. Pep Guardiola - Manchester City
In second place, Pep Guardiola continues to orchestrate his brilliance and resilience, despite a disappointing 2024/25 campaign. Once the architect of Manchester City’s unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles, he now finds himself navigating a more turbulent chapter. Even so, Guardiola’s 39 trophies and tectonic stylistic impact still anchor him among football’s true elite.
3. Hansi Flick - Barcelona
Among the best football managers, Hansi Flick has engineered one of Europe’s most striking revivals. After a bruising stint with Germany, he has flourished at Barcelona, steering the club to a domestic treble in his debut season while restoring its trademark fluency.
With four statement victories over Real Madrid and a run to the Champions League semifinals, Flick has not only reasserted his elite pedigree but also positioned Barcelona as a resurgent force ready to reclaim its place among Europe’s giants.
4. Arne Slot - Liverpool
Few managers have adapted to the Premier League pressure cooker as impressively as Arne Slot, who has reshaped Liverpool with a blend of composure and innovation. His early decisions, from tactical restructuring to targeted player management, have established a foundation that is both progressive and ruthlessly effective.
His strategic tweaks, from easing Mohamed Salah’s defensive load to reinventing Ryan Gravenberch in a deeper role, have elevated individual performances and reinforced Liverpool’s collective strength.
5. Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s claim as one of the best football managers today is rooted in the profound transformation he has orchestrated at Arsenal since taking the helm in 2019. His meticulous rebuild has elevated the Gunners back into perennial title contention, guiding them to three straight Premier League runner-up finishes and restoring an elite standard many believed lost after the Wenger era. Though the lingering debate surrounding his legacy persists, Arteta has positioned Arsenal on the cusp of long-awaited triumph.
6. Xabi Alonso - Real Madrid
Guiding his team through Europe’s longest unbeaten run and dethroning Bayern Munich after more than a decade of dominance, Alonso delivered a historic Bundesliga title and a DFB-Pokal triumph that cemented his status as the brightest young coach in world football.
His tactical acumen, shifting seamlessly between a 3-4-1-2 and a 4-2-3-1 while sustaining high-pressing intensity and multilayered attacks, showcased a versatility rare for a manager so early in his career. Now, with the current lineup, Alonso faces the monumental challenge of translating his adaptability and assertive football to a squad bursting with world-class talent.
7. Antonio Conte - Napoli
After years of doubts shadowing his reputation, Antonio Conte has reclaimed his place among Europe’s elite managers with a masterful Scudetto-winning campaign at Napoli. His willingness to shift between rigid back-three structures and a daring 4-3-3 demonstrated the adaptability many believed he had lost after Tottenham. Strengthened by the arrivals of Rasmus Højlund and Kevin De Bruyne, Conte enters the new season with momentum, authority, and the unmistakable aura of a remarkable football manager.
8. Simone Inzaghi - Al-Hilal
Simone Inzaghi’s rise into the upper echelon of the world’s best football managers is a reflection of the extraordinary consistency and competitive edge he brought to Inter Milan. Guiding the Nerazzurri to a Serie A title sealed in dramatic fashion against AC Milan at the San Siro, he built a side whose tactical discipline and relentless structure became a benchmark across Europe.
Though he twice fell agonizingly short of delivering Inter’s first Champions League trophy in more than a decade, his run to consecutive finals underscored his remarkable clarity under pressure.
9. Carlo Ancelotti - Brazil
Carlo Ancelotti remains one of football’s most enduring managerial figures, a rare leader who has conquered Europe both on the pitch and from the touchline. With league titles in four major European nations and a record five Champions League triumphs, his resume stands as a monument to sustained excellence at the sport’s highest level. And while his final chapter in Madrid ended with less sparkle than the heights he once set, his move to guide Brazil into the 2026 World Cup marks the beginning of yet another compelling era
10. Diego Simeone - Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone has long cemented himself among the best football managers through a career marked by consistency, grit, and unyielding standards. Across 15 seasons at Atletico Madrid, he has maintained a trademark identity dominated by tactical rigidity, ferocity, and defensive mastery.
As the race to define the best football managers in the world grows ever more competitive, these tacticians continue to shape the sport with their vision, discipline, and tactical ingenuity. Their influence will definitely dictate the rhythm and rivalries of seasons to come.
For a deeper look at the stars executing these game-changing strategies on the pitch, be sure to read the best football players in the world in 2025 here.
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