In conclusion, the top managers of the twenty-first century have been ranked.
Current and past Premier League managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp place higher on the final list, while Spanish coaches Luis Enrique and Vicente Del Bosque also make it.
Though not nearly as much as successor Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane’s trophy collection at Real Madrid stands out in his illustrious and successful managerial career.
A manager’s impact has the power to make or break a team in the overly complicated world of modern football. Numerous outstanding tacticians have influenced the game in the twenty-first century with their creative methods, leadership, and strategic acumen. These managers have made a lasting impact on the sport by developing new talent and orchestrating historic wins.
Although their performance on the field is the most crucial indicator of their success, head coaches are now also known for their personalities in the entertainment industry, and their media presence is equally significant. The football world has a lot to be thankful for this century, from the exuberant personalities of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp to the cool, collected, undisturbed auras of Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.
There are enough legendary head coaches to rank 20, 30, or even 40 thanks to Spain and Real Madrid’s domination around 2010 and the Premier League’s rise to prominence in Europe around the turn of the century, 25 years after New Year’s Eve 1999. For the sake of time, however, these are GIVEMESPORT’s top 15 managers to date in the twenty-first century.
Factors that rank
The greatest football managers of the twenty-first century (ranked) Trophies won after the year 2000 Longevity Success in relation to clubs handled Legacy and enduring influence on the sport
Rank
Supervisor
21st Century Teams Manager
The 21st Century Trophies
1.
Guardiola, Pep
Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona B, and Barcelona
La Liga (x3), Bundesliga (x3), Champions League (x3), Premier League (x6), Super Cup (x3), Club World Cup (x2), and FA Cup (x2)
2.
Alex Ferguson, sir
United Manchester
FA Cup (x1), Club World Cup (x1), Premier League (x8), and Champions League (x1)
3.
Ancelotti, Carlo
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, PSG, AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli, and Everton
FIFA Intercontinental Cup (x1), Serie A (x1), Bundesliga (x1), Champions League (x5), Premier League (x1), La Liga (x2), Super Cup (x5), Club World Cup (x3), and FA Cup (x1)
4.
Mourinho, Jose
Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Benfica, and UD Leiria Fenerbahce
Premier League (x3), Serie A (x2), La Liga (x1), FA Cup (x1), Champions League (x2), Europa League (x1), and Europa Conference League (x1)
5.
Klopp, Jurgen
Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, and Mainz
Club World Cup (x1), Super Cup (x1), Bundesliga (x2), FA Cup (x1), Champions League (x1), and Premier League (x1)
6.
Vicente del Bosque
Castilla Real Madrid Real Madrid, Besiktas, Spain
Champions League (x2), La Liga (x2), World Cup (x1), European Championship (x1), and Super Cup (x1)
7.
Luis Enrique
Barcelona B, PSG, Barcelona, Spain, Roma, and Celta Vigo
La Liga (x2), Ligue 1 (x2), Champions League (x2), Club World Cup (x1), and Super Cup (x1)
8.
Zidane Zinedine
Real Madrid
Club World Cup (x2), Super Cup (x2), La Liga (x2), and Champions League (x3)
9.
Simeone, Diego
River Plate, San Lorenzo, Catania, Racing Club, Estudiantes, and Atletico Madrid
La Liga (x2), Super Cup (x2), and Europa League (x2)
10.
Conte, Antonio
Juventus, Italy, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Tottenham, Napoli, Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta, and Siena
FA Cup (x1), Serie A (x5), and Premier League (x1)
11.
Wenger, Arsene
The Arsenal
FA Cup (x6), Premier League (x2).
12.
Emery Unai
Arsenal, Villareal, Aston Villa, PSG, and Sevilla
Ligue 1 (x1), Europa League (x4)
13.
Mancini, Roberto
Italy, Saudi Arabia, Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Galatasaray, and Zenit
Premier League (x1), FA Cup (x1), European Championship (x1), and Serie A (x3)
14.
Scaloni, Lionel
Argentina
Copa America (x2), World Cup (x1)
15.
Deschamps, Didier
France, Monaco, Juventus, and Marseille
Ligue 1 (x1), Nations League (x1), and World Cup (x1)
14Didier Deschamps
Managerial career span: 2001 – present
It makes sense that Didier Deschamps, who led France to victory at the 1998 World Cup, would lead them to their second Jules Rimet trophy 20 years later. He became just the third person to win football’s greatest award as both manager and player after the historic 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Deschamps was tasked with recovering from a terrible 2010 World Cup campaign, and he did it in spectacular fashion. In addition to the 2018 victory, he has guided France to a Nations League title, final appearances at EURO 2016, and the 2022 World Cup. Les Bleus are also considered as one of the favorites for the USA, Mexico, and Canada World Cups next year, in part because of his exceptional coaching skills and his team’s outstanding squad depth.
13Lionel Scaloni
Managerial career span: 2018 – present
Everyone is aware of Lionel Scaloni’s greatest accomplishment during his time as a football manager. He will always be remembered for helping Lionel Messi win the 2022 World Cup and revolutionize football. Naturally, that doesn’t really capture the extent of his efforts to turn Argentina from a team that was almost dormant for many years into one that is now vying for all of the major awards available.
In addition, the 47-year-old led Argentina to victories over Colombia in the Copa America 2024 final and Brazil in the Copa America 2021 final. He started working in the position in 2018 before turning 40 years old. He deserves a relatively high ranking on this list for having accomplished the success he has as a young manager.
12Unai Emery
Managerial career span: 2004 – present
Unai Emery is the manager with the most Europa League titles in football history. He has already won four and will have the chance to win a fifth next season after leading Aston Villa to consecutive Premier League European football qualifying campaigns.
The Villans are in a much different situation now than they were under Steven Gerrard’s leadership. The Spaniard stands out from other coaches on our list because he is an excellent man-manager who can build a team without spending exorbitant sums of money.
11Arsene Wenger
Managerial career span: 1984 – 2018
Arsene Wenger, one of the greatest Premier League managers of all time, revolutionized football when he moved to England. Football legends will always remember Arsenal’s most successful manager for his innovative training techniques and attention on diet and nutrition.
Wenger would succeed Pat Rice as manager of Arsenal in 1996, capping an unexpected but fruitful tenure in Japan with Nagoya Grampus Eight. Over the course of 22 years, he led the Gunners to a historic Invincibles season, which AI believes to be the greatest Premier League team ever. He also won three Premier League crowns, seven FA Cups, and 49 games without a loss between 2003 and 2004.
10Antonio Conte
Managerial career span: 2006 – present
After his turbulent tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, the fiery Italian manager may not immediately spring to mind as one of the greatest managers of all time, but his record elsewhere is a testament to success.
Conte has demonstrated his ability to lead success at home by winning a league title with Chelsea in his first season in the Premier League, a Scudetto three-peat with Juventus, and one each with Inter and most recently Napoli. When the vivacious and touchline-prowling head coach led the Blues to 13 wins in his first 13 English league games, he tied the Premier League record for the most consecutive wins in a season that Arsenal had set. The following month, he became the first manager to win three consecutive Premier League Manager of the Month awards.
9Diego Simeone
Managerial career span: 2006 – present
Since Atletico Madrid only made it to the top four of La Liga once in the twenty-first century (2008–09) and was a team in Spain’s second division in the early 2000s, Diego Simeone’s makeover of the team is unlike any other in the century thus far.
The team has won two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey under the Argentine coach, and they have never finished outside of the top four since he took over. The 55-year-old, who is best known for being a master of a defensive strategy, is a fixture at Real Madrid. His place on this list is indisputable given that he has won an average of two points per game throughout a lengthy career.
8Zinedine Zidane
Managerial career span: 2014 – 2021
Silverware is one metric that is indisputable, even though many people doubt Zinedine Zidane’s status as one of the greatest managers. Along with two La Liga crowns, the France legend won three straight Champions League titles with Real Madrid. Even though the Santiago Bernabeau is one of the most opulent stadiums in the world of football, running a locker room with players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos is never as simple as it seems.
Since all the metrics are there, longevity is really the only thing preventing him from rising higher in the management rankings. In addition to being one of the greatest French footballers of all time, he was also one of the greatest French managers to ever grace the technical area. He resigned in 2021 after winning 66% of his 331 games in charge.
7Luis Enrique
Managerial career span: 2008 – present
‘You never know what you have until it’s gone’ is perhaps the greatest way to describe how Barcelona supporters feel about Luis Enrique.
Barcelona’s performance declined after Pep Guardiola left Camp Nou in 2012, and some people might have wondered if they would ever be able to replicate Pep’s achievements. Enrique, however, shocked the team in his first season as manager and guided the Catalan team to a historic triple of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. Enrique won two more Copa del Rey titles with the team and kept the title the next season.
After leading Les Parisiens to their first Champions League victory with a record 5-0 scoreline over fellow finalists Inter Milan, he is currently experiencing great success in France with Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the second manager in history to win a treble with two separate teams.
6Vicente del Bosque
Managerial career span: 1987 – 2016
Vicente del Bosque, the former manager of Real Madrid and Spain, is the only manager in the top 10 who has achieved success both domestically and abroad.
Del Bosque won two La Liga championships, two Champions Leagues, a Spanish Super Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup while managing the legendary Galacticos team in the early 2000s. Del Bosque was hired as manager of the Spanish national team after a brief stint at Besiktas and a position as sporting director at Cadiz. This led to a period of historic dominance, winning Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012.
5Jurgen Klopp
Managerial career span: 2001 – 2024
Klopp is regarded as one of the greatest managers of the century because, like Simeone, he has transformed the teams he has led. In just a few years, Klopp transformed Borussia Dortmund—who had finished in 13th place in 2008—into the heavy metal football powerhouse of Europe. The team won the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012 before thrashing Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid to advance to the Champions League final in 2013.
A similar effort arose in 2016 when Klopp was asked to rouse Liverpool, a similarly positioned sleeping giant. Klopp delivered a sixth European Cup to Anfield in 2019 after introducing his style to the Premier League, and the following season, he broke Liverpool’s 30-year title drought. The Reds were once again among the top clubs in Europe after the German helped them win the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup.
4Jose Mourinho
Managerial career span: 1993 – present
Mourinho would have been a strong candidate for the top slot on this list ten years ago to make it. He is still one of the most successful managers in Europe, even though his success rate has slowed down recently.
When the incredibly self-assured Portuguese manager made his debut in 2004 as Porto’s Champions League-winning coach, he revolutionized the perception of football coaches. When he moved to Chelsea that summer and broke the Man United/Arsenal duopoly to win back-to-back Premier League titles with The Blues, he undoubtedly did more than just talk the talk. After winning the Coppa D’Italia, Serie A, and his second Champions League victory with Inter in 2010, Mourinho cemented his legendary reputation in football management.
3Carlo Ancelotti
Managerial career span: 1992 – present
After winning his first Champions League trophy with AC Milan in 2002–03, Ancelotti has been at the top of the management game for more than 20 years. The Italian is now the most successful manager to have ever participated in the competition and the only head coach to have managed in six finals after winning another with Milan and three with Real Madrid in 2014, 2022, and 2024.
Ancelotti also has the amazing record of being the only manager to win a championship in all five of Europe’s top leagues. Even though his strategies might not be as overt as those of Klopp, Guardiola, or Mourinho, his trophy cabinet speaks for itself, and opponents might as well give in right away when that eyebrow is raised on the touchline because Los Blancos will almost certainly find a covert way to regain complete control of the match. Since the Italian just agreed to take over as Brazil’s manager, he is now the problem for international football, which will please Europe’s other top managers.
2Sir Alex Ferguson
Managerial career span: 1974 – 2013
Get out of here, Manchester United supporters! The former United manager will have to settle for second place, which is probably not something he is used to, even though you may have anticipated the Scotsman to top the list of the greatest managers of the century!
When the former Aberdeen coach Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford in 1986, he intended to “knock Liverpool off their perch.” And he had fulfilled his pledge by the middle of the 1990s. However, Glasgow’s most well-known son truly earned his reputation as one of the greatest in the industry at the turn of the century.
Ferguson assisted the Red Devils in winning eight Premier League championships, one FA Cup, and one Champions League, and he also made it to the final of the latter twice after 2000. Manchester United hasn’t seriously challenged for the championship since he retired in 2013, and the fact that they had seven managers and three interim managers during that time only serves to highlight how outstanding “Fergie’s” reign of terror was.
1Pep Guardiola
Managerial career span: 2007 – present
Pep Guardiola has demonstrated the ideal balance of strategically altering the game and switching sides while winning awards. The Spaniard, who was a student of Johann Cruyff and a Barcelona legend, took over as manager of the Blaugrana in 2008 and soon established one of the best football squads ever seen at Camp Nou.
After winning a historic sextuple in 2009 (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup), Guardiola’s Barcelona team went on to win both the Champions League and La Liga again in 2011. After that, he won two German Cups and a Bundesliga triple crown with Bayern Munich before moving to Manchester City in 2016.
Guardiola has won the FA Cup twice, the League Cup four times, and the Premier League six times at Manchester City, including a record-tying four straight after the 2023–24 season. His climactic moment, however, did not occur until 2023, when the Cityzens won a treble, the first by an English club in the twenty-first century, despite all of these victories in the northwest.
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