Let’s take a look at some of the greatest talents to have managed in football history; that have made sure their team gives it all it takes to the point of victory:
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Fergusson is the manager with the highest number of trophies in football, having a total of 48 titles during his managerial career.
As a manager, he took charge of a total of 2,155 competitive games between 1974 and 2013. Having a whooping record of 528 wins from 810 matches of Premier League alone, he holds the world record for the manager with most games.
He managed Manchester United between 1986 and 2013, and in his 26 years as a manager, he won 38 trophies, which include two UEFA Champions League Cups, five FA Cups and 13 Premier League titles.
His ability to motivate, spot talents and move with time in over four decades set him apart and commanded respect from competitors.
Rinus Michels
Rinus Michels has been named France’s greatest football manager ever. The Amsterdam-born made his debut as a player in 1946 with Ajax Amsterdam, representing the team 264 times and scoring a total of 122 goals.
He became a manager in 1958, managed a total of 8 teams, and was known for his skilful movements and versatility.
While in Ajax, he won four league titles, leading the team to the first three European cups in the 1970s. He focused on finding the balance between creative and destructive defence and through this method, the Ajax team won nine trophies in only five seasons.
Before becoming the Dutch international manager, he won trophies across Germany, Spain and Holland. Also in Barcelona, he led them in winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
In 1999, he was declared the coach of the century and when he died in March, 2005 at 77, he was named “the father of Dutch football”. The Rinus Michel Award was named after him and recognizes the best Dutch football manager every year.
Giovanni Trapattoni
One of the most decorated managers in the history of the game, Giovani has won league championship titles in four different European countries.
He was born in Cusano Milanino in 1939 and began his football journey as a 14-year-old in 1953 by joining AC Milan’s development system. He spent most of his career as a player in AC Milan where he won twice the Seria A league championships and the European Cups league each.
He first became a youth team coach before becoming a caretaker coach between April and June, 1974.
As Juventus’ football coach, he established himself as a well-respected manager. He was well known for his tactical understanding of the importance of great man-management.
He was the first coach to win all three major European leagues, the Intercontinental Cup, European Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup either as a player or as a coach with the same team.
José Mourinho
José Mourinho, the professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Italian Serie A club, Roma, is one of the most successful managers in the history of football.
The Portuguese manager, who began his coaching career with home club FC Porto, has managed nine football teams, including Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
He has won major trophies, including UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, La Liga, FA Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, EFL Cup and many others. 10 years ago, Real Madrid became La Liga champions under him.
His biggest achievement was ending the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s brilliant Barcelona team as Madrid won the 2012 La Liga title. He also claimed the Copa del Rey in 2011 and the Spanish Supercup in 2012.
Pep Guardiola
Over the course of his career, Pep Guardiola has won 31 titles. He became Manchester City’s manager in 2016 and has since then won different titles, amongst which is the La Liga title, in three of his four seasons at the Camp Nou. He has also lifted the UEFA Champions League twice.
He has won the Bundesliga three times, winning the league and cup double. After winning his first 11 games, he was nominated twice for the Premier League Manager of the Month award in August and September 2016.
So far, he has won Manager of the Month awards four times successively and was voted the Premier League Manager of the Season and the LMA Manager of the Year. In May 2021, he became the first Manchester City manager to get to the Champions League final.
Final thoughts
We’ve seen some incredible managers over the generations, and we’re seeing more of our favourites come through from player to manager. Let’s face it, football is a sport that keeps us all on our toes – but nothing beats getting match day tickets to really get you going. So don’t miss out!
