Coaches are as important as the players on the pitch. Often times the success and failure of a team are shouldered by tacticians. This article provides you with our list of the top 10 football coaches in the world in 2023.
Interestingly, discussants have argued that managers are made by players, while others believe that players make managers.
This isn’t too far-fetched, looking at how some managers succeed at a club or national team but fail woefully to do the same elsewhere.
Nevertheless, there are managers who have excelled irrespective of where they lead, and in this write-up, we’ll look at them.
Here are the top 10 football coaches in the world in 2023.
Top 10 Football Coaches In The World 2023
Our list on the 10 best football coaches in 2023 is based on the achievements, pedigree, and status currently.
10. Antonio Conte
- Country: Italy
- Job: Tottenham.
Antonio Conte is one manager who has built his reputation over the last decade and still remains relevant.
After a trophy avalanche with Juventus, Premier League wins with Chelsea, and Seria A title in 2021, he got appointed at North London club Tottenham Hotspur in November 2021.
He turned around the nosediving season for Spurs after replacing Nuno Espirito-Santo and managed to qualify them for the UEFA Champions League on the final day at the expense of rivals Arsenal.
9. Zinedine Zidane
- Country: France
- Job: None
Zinedine Zidane may be out of a job for up to a year and may not have managed up to five years combined, but within that five years, he has managed to write his name in the books of some of the greatest managers ever.
You can’t make a list of the best football managers right now without mentioning Zinedine Zidane.
It’s simple, win three UEFA Champions League titles back to back, and you enjoy the same privilege.
However, he remains the only manager to have ever done that winning it in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
He may be out of a job for now, but whenever he decides to go back into coaching, he sure will top a lot of wishlists.
8. Lionel Scaloni
- Country: Argentina
- Job: Argentine national team
Lionel Scaloni was an unknown coach when he took over as head coach of Argentina in 2018.
However, in four years, Scaloni has won the 2021 Copa America, 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He showed his tactical intelligence by outsmarting and out-playing France in the final of the World Cup.
Scaloni is an attack-minded coach who is great a adapting, changing tactics, and managing his players. He has a good relationship with his players and is not afraid of giving younger players a chance.
Earlier this year, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni was voted FIFA men’s coach of the year, cementing his status as one of the best football coaches in the world.
7. Xavi
- Country: Spain
- Job: Barcelona
Three years ago, Xavi was considered a baby coach after emerging as the coach of Qatari side Al Sadd.
In 2022 Xavi may not have reached the heights of Pep Guardiola, Klopp, etc., but he has done enough to be considered as a huge potential in the coming years as a manager.
Xavi was a huge part of Qatar’s football plan ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and after his trophy-fruitful as Al Sadd manager, he’s returned to Catalonia to help Barcelona return to their rightful place.
After joining towards the end of 2021, Xavi met Barcelona in ninth but somehow led them to a second-place finish and UEFA Champions League qualification. He is one of the youngest football coaches in Europe currently.
6. Jose Mourinho
- Country: Portugal
- Job: AS Roma
Jose Mourinho is a manager who needs no introduction, UEFA Champions League titles with Porto, and Inter Milan, league titles with Chelsea and Real Madrid, and a lot of animated celebrations on the sidelines.
He is indeed the special one, and that’s why he’s the first manager to win all three UEFA club competitions after leading AS Roma to the UEFA Europa Conference League last May.
Jose Mourinho is also one of the highest-paid football coaches in the world, despite coaching AS Roma.
5. Diego Simeone
- Country: Argentina
- Job: Atletico Madrid
Love him, hate him; Diego Simeone has done enough to be considered a top manager even though Atletico Madrid relinquished their La Liga title to Real Madrid last season.
However, that’s not a problem for Atletico Madrid; at least, this is the man who made them serial contenders for titles in Spain and Europe.
He’s won them two La Liga titles, led them to two UEFA Champions League finals, and won two Europa League trophies since becoming manager in 2011.
Not many managers can give his longevity at a single club with much success.
4. Hansi Flick
- Country: Germany
- Job: Germany National Team
The German national team didn’t get close to the Euro 2020 finals, but they have remained as ruthless as ever.
Behind it is Hansi Flick, a manager who is finally getting his accolades in the limelight after enduring in the shadows for a long time.
He oversaw Bayern Munich as they won the sextuplets in 2021 while they also went unbeaten to the UEFA Champions League title in the 2019/2020 season.
His win record is so phenomenal he lost just seven games in his two-year stay at the club between 2019 and 2021. Hansi Flick is undoubtedly one of the best football managers in the world.
3. Jurgen Klopp
- Country: Germany
- Job: Liverpool
If there is a man named close to Pep Guardiola, it’s definitely Jurgen Klopp, and it’s deserved. Sometimes it feels like Jurgen doesn’t get the praises he deserves with the tons of job he did with Dortmund and how tremendously he’s turned Liverpool into serial winners.
Last season, Liverpool were quadruple contenders till the very end, although they had to settle for half of the four competitions they battled for. Winning just the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, although they lost the Premier League on the final day of the season.
It’s not easy pushing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to the final day for the Premier League, and beating Real Madrid in a UEFA Champions League final doesn’t happen often.
2. Pep Guardiola
- Country: Spain
- Job: Manchester City
Widely regarded as the best and biggest manager in football today, Pep Guardiola earned his accolades from the city of Barcelona to Munich and now Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola is also one of the most successful football managers in football history, as he is always winning at least one trophy every season.
This year, he led the team to their fourth Premier League title in five years and led them to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League after securing their debut UEFA Champions League final in the 2020/2021 season.
1. Carlo Ancellotti
- Country: Italy
- Job: Real Madrid.
Long before now, Carlos Ancellotti has been proving his place as one of the best and biggest managers of all time. The Italian is not just one of the top football coaches in the world, but is also one of the most stylish football managers.
The Real Madrid boss is the first manager to win League titles in Italy, Spain, Germany, England, and France.
These are only a few of the accolades he holds, but his record in 2022 with Real Madrid stands him out after winning the La Liga and UEFA Champions League double.
While the league title was won with games to spare, his UEFA Champions League triumph was not on an easy route beating the biggest teams and best managers available to Real Madrid’s European triumph.
His recent triumph was the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid.
