The top 15 best soccer managers of all time

Managers not only develop the tactics and make the in-match decisions that shape how a soccer team performs, but they scout talent, motivate players, and develop them. While many managers achieve success, very few elevate their status to the level of being an all-time great.

Let’s break down the 15 best soccer managers of all time.

15. Udo Lattek (1965-93, 2000)

The German is regarded as one of the greatest managers in the history of the Bundesliga and is one of two managers to win three major European trophies — and was the first to do so with three different clubs. Lattek led Bayern to their first European Cup in 1974 and guided Borussia Monchengladbach to the 1979 UEFA Cup. In 1982, he led Spanish giant Barcelona to European Winners’ Cup glory.

Lattek ended his career with eight Bundesliga titles and three German Cups. Seven years after his retirement, the 65-year-old achieved one final feat, managing Borussia Dortmund for five matches and saving them from relegation.

14. Brian Clough (1965-93)

The Englishman was a prolific striker in his playing days before a career-ending knee injury. He managed four different clubs in the first nine years of his post-playing career, including five years at Derby County, where he claimed four trophies.

In 1975, he took over at Nottingham Forest and led the club to promotion two years later into the top flight. He went on to win the 1978 First Division title and four League Cups, but his crowning achievement in his 18 seasons in charge was leading the club, which prior to his arrival had never qualified for a UEFA tournament, to consecutive European Cups in 1979 and 1980.

13. Bill Shankly (1949-74)

Shankly managed five clubs in his career, but it was at Liverpool that he established his legacy. In 16 seasons at the club, he transformed the Reds into one of the biggest clubs in the world. Within five years of getting them promoted to the top flight, he led them to the first of three league titles. A year later he won his first of two FA Cups.

In addition to three FA Charity Shields, Shankly led Liverpool to its first taste of European glory, winning the UEFA Cup in 1973.

12. Jose Mourinho (2000-present)

"The Special One" is one of only five managers to win domestic titles in four different countries and one of only five to win Champions League trophies with multiple clubs.

However, his abrasive managerial style has led to locker-room turmoil everywhere he has gone. After winning seven domestic titles in 10 years, he has failed to do so since 2015. 

Mourinho broke onto the scene with Porto, leading the Portuguese club to a stunning Champions League trophy in 2004 after winning the lesser UEFA Cup the previous season. He also led them to consecutive league titles.

He took Chelsea to three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three league cups. At Inter Milan, he won pair of Serie A crowns, achieving a "treble" in 2010 with an Italian Supercoppa and Champions League trophy.

Mourinho won a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey with Real Madrid before leading Manchester United to UEFA Europa League glory. However, he went trophyless in less than two seasons at Tottenham and was sacked in his third year with Roma. The 61-year-old was appointed to Fenerbahce manager in June.

11. Matt Busby (1945-71)

Great managers build great teams. Busby had to build two of them at the same club. The Busby Babes was a brilliant team full of some of the best young talent in England. They won two First Division titles, and qualified for the semifinals of the European Cup in 1958. Unfortunately, the Munich air disaster took the lives of 23 individuals, including eight players. 

Busby resurrected the club, which nearly fell apart following the tragedy, and led them to the European Cup exactly 10 years later. Busby also won five league trophies, two FA Cups, and five FA Charity Shields before retiring.

10. Giovanni Trapattoni (1972-2013)

One of the best managers in Italian history, Il Trap managed nine different clubs and three national teams. His biggest period of success was with Juventus, where he led the Old Lady to six Serie A titles, two Coppa Italias, a European Cup, two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Winners’ Cup, a European Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup over a 10-year span.

He added another Serie A and UEFA Cup title with Inter Milan, and the Bundesliga crown with Bayern Munich. He also won domestic crowns with Benfica and Red Bull Salzburg, making him one of five managers with four different domestic titles. He was also the second manager, after Lattek, to win all three of Europe’s major club competitions.

9. Helenio Herrera (1944-81)

The pioneer of "managerial mind games" in soccer, Herrera was notorious for convincing his players they could do anything and getting in the heads of opponents. He was also one of the first to recognize that crowd support could influence matches. He managed 13 different clubs and two national teams in his career, winning 16 major trophies.

Herrera led Atletico Madrid to a pair of La Liga titles and then did the same with Barcelona while adding a pair of Copa del Rey crowns. At Inter Milan, he won three Serie A titles as well as consecutive European Cups and Intercontinental Cups in both 1964 and '65.

8. Carlo Ancelotti (1992-present)

Ancelotti has managed 10 different clubs in 27 years, including a current second stint at Real Madrid. The 65-year-old became the first to win domestic titles in Europe's five biggest leagues. In May the Italian won a record fifth Champions League trophy as a manager with Real Madrid (on top of two as a player); he is among the handful who have won the European Cup with two clubs.

Ancelotti led AC Milan to three Champions League finals in five years, winning in 2003 and 2007. This was in addition to a Serie A title, a Coppa Italia crown, a Supercoppa Italiana, two UEFA Super Cups, and a FIFA Club World Cup.

This success was followed by league titles with Chelsea, Paris St-Germain, and Bayern Munich. His 2014 Champions League crown with Real made him the second manager to win that trophy three times. 

7. Bob Paisley (1959-83)

Paisley was on Shankly’s staff for 15 years before moving into the managerial role following his mentor's retirement. In nine years in charge at Anfield, he built on Shankly’s strong foundation and won 20 trophies. This included six league crowns, three league cups, and five Charity Shields.

It was his European success that made Paisley a legend, as he became the first of three managers ever to win three European Cups. He also added a UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup, winning an average of 2.2 trophies per season.

6. Arrigo Sacchi (1973-2001)

Sacchi managed seven clubs and the Italian national team in his storied career, but it was at Milan where he established his greatness. He introduced a style of fluid football to a league that was heavily defensive, comparing it to "an orchestra" in a league of "solo artists." His style later influenced Pep Guardiola.

In four years with the Rossoneri domestically, Sacchi won a Serie A title and an Italian Supercup and was runner-up in a Copa Italia. More impressively, he won the European Cup, European Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup in both the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. It is one of the most dominant two-year runs in the history of UEFA, and it made him the last manager to win consecutive Champions League trophies before Zinedine Zidane won three in a row starting in 2016.

Sacchi rounded out his greatness by leading the Italian national team to the final of the 1994 World Cup, where they lost to Brazil on penalties.

5. Johan Cruyff (1985-96; 2009-13)

One of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Cruyff managed Ajax to a European Cup Winners’ Cup and two KNVB Cups, but it was at Barcelona that he truly became a legend.

After overhauling the club from the ground up, including the youth academy, he built the "Dream Team" that dominated Europe in the early 1990s. His Barca won the 1992 European Cup, another European Cup Winners’ Cup, and the European Super Cup. He led them to the 1994 Champions League final, but a historic 4-0 upset by Milan marked the beginning of the end of his run. He won four consecutive La Liga crowns, along with a Copa del Rey and three Spanish Supercups. 

4. Ernst Happel (1962-92)

Happel was the first manager to win European Cups with multiple clubs and one of the five with titles in four different leagues. He was one of the first managers to employ a three-man midfield, which became an inspiration for the "total football" movement.

Happel managed nine domestic clubs and two national teams. He is the only manager to take three different clubs to the Champions League/European Cup final, doing so with Club Brugge, Feyenoord, and Hamburger SV. He won eight domestic titles, six domestic cups, and three continental trophies in his career while finishing runner-up in two others. He also led the Dutch national team to a runner-up finish at the 1978 World Cup.

3. Pep Guardiola (2007-present)

The best active manager in the world, Pep was a club legend player at Barcelona, part of Cruyff’s "Dream Team," and he became senior manager in 2008. In just four seasons, his tiki-taka style led the club to three league titles, two Copa del Reys, three Spanish Supercups, and a pair of Champions League crowns. He also won two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups.

He had further domestic success at Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons and adding another FIFA Club World Cup, two DFB Pokal titles, and a UEFA Super Cup. 

He is now in his ninth season at Manchester City, where he has claimed six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four league cups, and two FA Community Shields. He finally brought the club to Champions League success in 2023, two years after losing in the final to Chelsea. 

2. Rinus Michels (1953-92)

The architect of "total football," Michels saw success at both the domestic and international level. He won four Dutch league titles, three KNVB cups, and the 1971 European Cup with Ajax, two years after losing in the final. At Barcelona, he added a La Liga crown and a Copa del Rey before leading FC Koln to a DFB Pokal trophy a few years later.

At the international level, Michels' style became world-renowned as he turned the Dutch national team into a machine. He led them to a runner-up finish in the 1974 World Cup before claiming victory with the Oranje in the 1988 European Championships. He was named the FIFA Coach of the Century and is considered the most influential manager in history.

1. Alex Ferguson (1974-2013)

The winner of 50 trophies in his illustrious career, more than any manager in history, Fergie won his first trophy as the manager of St. Mirren in the Scottish first division, leading them to the league title in 1977. He moved to Aberdeen, where he took the Scottish Premier club to three league crowns and four domestic cups. It was through leading them to a stunning European Cup Winners' cup victory in 1983, followed by a European Super Cup victory, that he truly began his rise.

Ferguson was hired by Manchester United in 1986 and after a few tumultuous seasons was on the verge of being sacked. He salvaged his job with an FA Cup title in 1990, the first of five times he won the competition. He returned United to their former glory as one of the biggest clubs in the world, culminating with the famous "treble" in 1999 where they became the only British club to win the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the same season.

Ferguson was knighted for the achievement and retired after winning his record 13th Premier League crown in 2013. In his 26 seasons at United, The Boss won four League Cups, 10 FA Community Shields, one European Cup Winners' Cup, one European Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, one FIFA Club World Cup, and a second Champions League in 2008.

Updated by Rick Seto

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