Manager Rankings: The best managers in football now

• The finest managers in the world of football make the most of the players they have at their disposal.
• We look at the best managers in the football world now.

The finest managers in the world of football make the most of the players they have at their disposal, motivate their teams, and come up with creative ways to stay one step ahead of their rivals.

We look at the best managers in the football world now.

Simone Inzaghi – Inter Milan

Simone Inzaghi .Photo/ Goal

At Inter Milan, Simeone Inzaghi took over from Antonio Conte in leading the Italian team to become one of the best in Europe. Despite last month’s disappointing Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, the Nerazzurri have made significant progress under Inzaghi’s leadership.

After leading Lazio to two Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia, Inzaghi relocated to Milan where he has further cemented his standing as one of the best coaches in the league. Along with leading Inter to its first Champions League final in more than a decade, he also added a hat-trick of Supercoppa victories and back-to-back Coppa Italia titles to his trophy collection last season.

With a 14-point lead at the top, Inter is cruising towards the Scudetto this season. This season, Inzaghi’s team has only suffered one league loss while combining strong defensive play with entertaining football. Inter has given up less goals than any other team in the top five leagues in Europe (14), but their style of play is adventurous due to their raiding wing-backs and Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez up front.

It is a testament to Inter’s outstanding financial acumen and coaching that Inzaghi’s transformation has been completed with a transfer window profit of about €170 million over the last three seasons.

Carlo Ancelotti – Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelloti. Photo/Football Espana

Even if Carlo Ancelotti retired from coaching tomorrow, he would go down as one of the best bench coaches in history. Few can make as impressive a resume as Don Carlo.

He has won the Champions League four times in a row and shared the title with Real Madrid and AC Milan twice each. The 64-year-old, who has won championships with Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, is also the only coach in football history to have triumphed in each of the top five divisions in Europe.

With Los Blancos leading the standings and eight points ahead of second place, a second La Liga championship seemed certain to arrive this season. He has been in charge of Real Madrid’s rebuilding as the Spanish powerhouses concentrate on up-and-coming players and try to assemble a team that can rule the game for ten years.

Ancelotti is a fantastic man manager, a beloved figure at all of his previous teams, and one of his best qualities is perhaps his ability to control dressing room egos.

Jurgen Klopp – Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp. Photo/ Liverpool FC.

Jurgen Klopp’s revelation that he will be leaving his position as manager in the summer has left Liverpool with an almost impossible challenge this summer. The club has seen its greatest run of success under Klopp’s direction, as he has found ways to challenge Manchester City, the league’s dominant team, and guide Liverpool to the top awards in the sport.

With the club’s record-breaking Premier League victory in 2019–20, the German has completed a perfect sweep of major trophies on Merseyside. This season, a second might come as Klopp aims to give his nine seasons in English football the ideal send-off.

With the help of Klopp’s contagious energy and charm, Liverpool has become one of the best teams in Europe. It will be a significant undertaking for whoever takes his position to fill the hole.

Pep Guardiola – Manchester City

With an almost flawless record, Pep Guardiola is the most accomplished coach in the game right now.

During his tenures at Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Guardiola broke records and established new benchmarks while collecting award after award and transforming Barcelona into maybe the greatest football team in history.

The first-ever triple in Spanish football, the first 100-point squad in the Premier League, the first domestic treble in English football, and City’s first-ever Champions League victory—achieved as part of another historic treble-winning season—are among the firsts he has accomplished.

Under Guardiola’s leadership, the game has changed on all fronts. His managerial style popularized notions such as inverted full-backs and false nines. Guardiola is still only 53, so time will tell how long he plays. He already has a compelling case to be considered the greatest coach of all time.