Here at 90min, we love to rank everything in football.
Whether that’s players by their position or managers by the way they dress, or managers by how hard they are, or managers by how suited they are to being a professor, you can find an assorted list for any taste around here.
But we recently noticed that we’d never ranked the best current managers in men’s football. We quickly realised that’s because it’s much, much harder to do that.
For example, some managers will perform well at elite clubs, but would struggle in turning round the fortunes of a middling side. Whatever criteria you have in your head for how to appropriately rank a manager, disregard it. Go with the flow. That’s the only thing that’s kept us sane.
Here are 90min’s picks for the best 25 managers in men’s world football today.
Honourable mentions and managers on the up:
Currently in charge of: Juventus
Past performances are doing a lot of heavy lifting for you here, Max. You’re on thin ice.
Currently in charge of: Tottenham Hotspur
Taking a pinch of recency bias with this pick, but also the fact that Ange Postecoglou has also been hugely successful wherever he’s been. Learn the game.
Currently in charge of: Brentford
90min’s Sean Walsh, who covers both Tottenham and Brentford, had to split hairs over Postecoglou and Thomas Frank. In the end, he plumped for the latter. Just.
Currently in charge of: Brighton & Hove Albion
In 12 months, Roberto De Zerbi could quite conceivably break into the top 15 of this list. We would simply like to see more of his work.
Currently in charge of: Roma
I prefer not to speak. If I speak I am in big trouble. And I’m not just paraphrasing.
Currently in charge of: Lazio
Remember in 2017 when you couldn’t escape videos on social media of Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli tearing teams apart? Simpler times.
Currently in charge of: Chelsea
How much do you still think Mauricio Pochettino is a top manager, and how much are you basing that based on achievements from over four years ago? Those were the big questions we had to ask ourselves, it’s only fair if you do it too, buddy.
Currently in charge of: Aston Villa
It’s pretty much nailed on that Unai Emery’s Aston Villa will win the Conference League but finish 10th in the Premier League. That’s the purest form of Emery.
Currently in charge of: Barcelona
Xavi guided Barcelona to their first La Liga title in four years last season, displacing the reigning double-winners in Real Madrid. That’s no joke.
Currently in charge of: Unemployed
Alright, sure, he bombed out at Tottenham, he cried like a baby, he took a big dump on the club and wiped it up with his expiring and voided contract, but Antonio Conte remains one of the finest single-season single-competition managers in football.
Currently in charge of: Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Enrique has been tasked with leading PSG into a new era away from their faux-Galactico period to this point. Good luck, mate.
Currently in charge of: Unemployed
14 is a bit high for someone who hasn’t managed in two years, but plenty of teams would take on Zinedine Zidane in a heartbeat. That’s important.
Currently in charge of: AC Milan
Until his appointment at Milan in 2019, Stefano Pioli was just another Serie A journeyman, but he has broken free from those shackles of a stereotype and enjoyed a hugely successful period in charge at San Siro.
Currently in charge of: Unemployed
Not many managers rock up to training on a skateboard, but 100% of the managers who do weird the team out a little. Anyway, here’s Julian Nagelsmann.
Currently in charge of: Manchester United
Erik ten Hag’s first season at Manchester United was impressive, but he’s got his work cut out to maintain that trajectory.
Currently in charge of: Arsenal
Imagine reading this list two years ago and seeing Mikel Arteta this high. That’s how quick football changes.
Currently in charge of: France
We’re entering a mini-tier of managers here, with three international coaches in a row. First up is France’s Didier Deschamps, who has turned Les Bleus into a major force after years in disarray.
Currently in charge of: Argentina
The reigning World Cup-winner with just one loss in his last 49 games. Lionel Scaloni cracked the Argentina code.
Currently in charge of: Italy
OK, Luciano Spalletti is technically an international manager, but really he’s here for his services to the club game. Winning Serie A with Napoli? Without Diego Maradona? Literally unheard of.
Currently in charge of: Inter
At Inter, Simone Inzaghi has combined two very important footballing traits – the ability to sweep up trophies without needing to play a horrible style.
Currently in charge of: Atletico Madrid
Every time you think that Diego Simeone’s reign at Atletico Madrid has run its course, he always finds a way to slightly tweak their team and go again. They’re a decent shout for this season’s La Liga title.
Currently in charge of: Bayern Munich
Thomas Tuchel has been through so many different stages in his managerial career. His Mainz and Borussia Dortmund sides were great on the ball and pressed maniacally. His PSG team relied more on star power. Chelsea won the Champions League with a more conservative approach. Goodness knows how his Bayern Munich will look in the long-term with Harry Kane.
Currently in charge of: Real Madrid
Hey, if Real Madrid can win La Liga or the Champions League with Joselu as their only natural centre forward option, then Carlo Ancelotti might need to move back to top spot.
Currently in charge of: Liverpool
A little bit of defensive coaching wouldn’t go amiss, Jurgen Klopp. But after ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a Premier League title in addition to reaching the Champions League final three times in five seasons, his stock remains exceptionally high.
Currently in charge of: Manchester City
Jibe him for being a ‘chequebook manager’ all you want, but no coach still in the game is more successful than Pep Guardiola.
He is the reigning treble-winner, after all.
READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90Mins
