The 50 greatest managers of all time

Luiz Felipe Scolari celebrates with Ronaldo

Ronaldo's goals ensured that Felipe Scolari is the only manager in history to have won a World Cup and a Copa Libertadores

30. Luis Alonso Perez

Points 1065
Nationality Brazilian

Brazil’s most successful club manager, which is saying something for a country of so many winners. Yes, perhaps Perez was fortunate to find himself in charge of a club that owned Pele, Pele and Coutinho. But then he also provided with the framework in which to flourish.

Perez’s reign was also the most complete period of dominance which Brazilian domestic football has seen. The run of five successive Brazilian championships from 1961-65 remains unmatched. Nor has any other Brazilian manager beaten his record of two Copa Libertadores in a row.

Career Santos 1954-66; Corinthians 1968-72
Trophies 2 Copa Libertadores; 5 Brazilian titles; 8 State championships

 

29. Arsene Wenger

Points 1070
Nationality French

Part of the problem with properly appreciating Wenger as a manager is that it’s difficult to mentally offset that long trophy drought with the traits that genuinely made him great. Almost exclusively thanks to the Frenchman, Arsenal are a global super-club. That will last to him as much as two doubles and an undefeated league campaign.

But, in truth, the exact qualities that put Arsenal there have now become passé. He no longer has an advantage, for example, in his squad preparation. Every club has now adapted the innovations that seemed so revolutionary in the 1996-97 Premier League season. What’s more, Barcelona have a better youth approach while many team play better football. The style that was once so exhilarating has become erratic.

And, unlike the football his sides have often played, his overall record has never actually been resounding. He got Nancy relegated in his first job, has never won a European Cup and didn’t actually win a league in Japan.

In that sense, too, he’s always cast himself as something of a tragic, moral victory. There’s always been a bigger, better – and, in Wenger’s eyes, less-principled – rival. With Monaco it was Marseille and in England it was Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and now, belatedly, Manchester City’s millions.

None of this to say he shouldn’t be admired. He is undeniably one of the game’s greats. But it does mean he is far from its best. Whatever of the philosophies.

Career Nancy-Lorraine 1984-87; Monaco 1987-94; Nagoya Grampus Eight 1995-96; Arsenal 1996-
Trophies 4 domestic titles (3 England, 1 France); 6 domestic cups

 

28. Louis van Gaal

Points 1070
Nationality Dutch

Louis van Gaal didn’t like what he was seeing. There, in the Bayern canteen, was Luca Toni slouching over the table. Like an old matron, the new manager marched over, angrily pulled one of Toni’s ears and ordered him to sit up straight.

It was probably a little too literal an illustration of one coach’s description that Van Gaal “demands maximum concentration. He doesn’t let the players relax.”

That, of course, was the main problem with Toni. He refused to properly obey Van Gaal’s instructions on the pitch. Because, as the Dutchman has admitted himself, he’s the ultimate ‘systems manager’. A player can only ever really be a cog.

“The coach is the team’s focal point, so preparing the tactical formation is essential. Every player must know where he has to be and support his teammates. There has to be absolute discipline and mutual understanding. Discipline is the basis of creativity and flexibility.”

And, so long as players go along with that discipline, the results can be spectacular. Van Gaal’s Ajax team were among the Champions League’s most thrilling. So terrific was the passing, you could have assumed it was telepathic rather than trained.
But it’s also no coincidence that Van Gaal’s main successes have come with squads that were willing to be moulded: a young Ajax, a moderate AZ Alkmaar and a Bayern team requiring rejuvenation and a fresh approach after the toils under Jurgen Klinsmann.

By a contrast, he couldn’t get a personality-filled Dutch squad to the World Cup and lost control of Bayern after the progress of 2009-10.

Barcelona maybe represented a half-way point. With a squad made up of his old Ajax loyalists but also stars like Rivaldo, they dominated domestically but toiled in Europe. As his career has repeatedly shown, Van Gaal finds total commitment for consistent trophies.

Career Ajax 1991-97; Barcelona 1997-2000; Holland 2000-02; Barcelona 2002-03; AZ Alkmaar 2005-09; Bayern Munich 2009-11
Trophies 1 Champions League; 1 Uefa Cup; 7 domestic titles (4 Holland, 2 Spanish, 1 German); 3 domestic cups

 

27. Albert Batteux

Points 1080
Nationality French

Possibly the most underappreciated manager in football history. As well as winning nine domestic titles, Batteux guided lowly Reims to two European Cup finals, brought France to the 1958 World Cup last four and created one of the most spectacular St Etienne teams.

It is the alchemy at Reims that stands above all, however. And that is only accentuated by the fact the club effectively disappeared from the top level once he left.

As Michel Hidalgo said of his team at the time, Reims “boiled down to three men, an office and the fans”. But, by bringing on a core of young players such as Raymond Kopa, Just Fontaine and Hidalgo himself, Batteux made them so much more than that. Indeed, they were Real Madrid’s great rivals in the early days of continental competition as they also won five French titles.

“We played fast one- or two-touch football and he was able to align different styles of players to form a homogenous unit,” Hidalgo explained. “He was years ahead of his time. Batteux had the gift of the gab. His team talks were a model of simplicity and efficiency. His philosophy revolved around the beauty of the game. He married beauty with winning style. I always tried to preach the same thing myself when I became a coach.”

Career Reims 1950-63; France 1955-62; Grenoble 1963-67; Saint Etienne 1967-72; Avignon 1976-77; Nice 1979; Marseille 1980-81
Trophies 9 French championships, 3 French Cups

 

26. Johan Cruyff

Points 1090
Nationality Dutch

Given what has happened in the last few years and the current debate over the competitiveness of the Spanish league, it’s almost impossible now to imagine the malaise Barcelona were enduring in May 1988. Seemingly lurching from one political crisis to the next, they had only won two league titles in the preceding 28 years and had still never claimed the European Cup.

Until, that was, the second coming. Cruyff the former player returned to Camp Nou as manager and ushered in a period of domination that had been simply unseen at any Spanish club other than Real Madrid. As the most elementary example of the extreme difference he made, Cruyff brought back Spain’s first Champions League to a trophy cabinet other than the Bernabeu and created the first team beyond Real to win more than two league titles in a row. Cruyff’s Barca won four.

But it wasn’t just the success. It was the style and depth of it. Most famously, Cruyff’s side were nicknamed the Dream Team for the dynamics of their football. Moreover, they played it thanks to all the deep-rooted changes underneath. Cruyff totally focused the club’s La Masia philosophy, properly coaching a series of local Catalan stars – among them Pep Guardiola.

In truth, Guardiola has actually improved Cruyff’s initial work at the club. The 1991-94 side won three of their titles in tremendously fortunate circumstances on the last day while it’s also impossible to enviage the current team being overwhelmed in the way Cruyff’s were in the 1994 Champions League final.

Perhaps a certain amount of imperfections were revealed, too, in the manner that Cruyff’s Ajax played second fiddle to PSV in Holland.

But the true difference is the drastic transformation that Cruyff caused at Camp Nou. It isn’t an exaggeration to argue that Guardiola wouldn’t have experienced such current success without him.

In that, Cruyff was probably a more influential than effective coach. But there’s no debating that he was still a monumentally successful one.

Career Ajax 1985-88; Barcelona 1988-96
Trophies 1 Champions League; 2 Cup Winners Cups; 4 Spanish titles, 3 domestic cups

 

25. Jose Villalonga

Points 1095
Nationality Spanish

With president Santiago Bernabeu above, Alfredo Di Stefano below and five successive European Cups safely in the middle of the cabinet, it’s often easy to assume that any Real Madrid manager during the 1955-60 period was no more than a figurehead. That would be unfair on the man to win the first two of those continental trophies though. It was Villalonga’s independent spirit that actually cost him his job.

Realising that Real were becoming increasingly lop-sided, he had the temerity to tell Di Stefano to stay higher up the pitch. But it wasn’t just the Argentine’s feathers that Villalonga ruffled. By the summer of 1957, his relationship with assistant coach Juan Antonio Ipina had unravelled to the extent they stopped speaking to each other. And, already cultivating the image of a cultured club, Bernabeu found the situation so distasteful he dismissed Villalonga. Insult was added to injury when Di Stefano waved him off with the words “Villalonga told me to stay up in attack. But we knew it was not working.”

Vindication would come though. First of all, whatever of Di Stefano’s positioning, the defensive problems that Villalonga had pinpointed would actually cause Real to struggle to win the domestic title. They only won one more in three years until former back Miguel Munoz arrived to instil more discipline.

Secondly, Villalonga would directly deny Real two domestic cups by creating a force out of their local rivals. At Atletico Madrid, his team defeated Di Stefano and co in the finals of the 1960 and 1961 competitions, before also claiming the Cup Winners Cup and even pushing Real all the way in the league.

And, in 1964, Villalonga would finally push Spain all the way. Guiding his country to that year’s European Nations Cup, he won their only trophy for generations. Real may not have had to wait too long for a successor to Villalonga. But Spain certainly did.

Career Real Madrid 1955-57; Atletico Madrid 1959-62; Spain 1962-66
Trophies 1 European Championships; 2 European Cups; 1 Cup Winners Cup; 2 Spanish Cups

 

24. Hennes Weisweiler

Points 1280
Nationality German

During his career as a physically imposing defender for Koln, Hennes Weisweiler once fractured his skull during a promotion game but continued playing until the end regardless. Little wonder he developed a reputation for hard-headedness. Less wonder he’s been cited as one of Arsene Wenger’s main influences.

But that, it barely needs to be added, is for reasons way beyond obstinacy. On taking over second-division Borussia Monchengladbach in 1964, Weisweiler immediately noticed that they had a core of untested young players who were capable of so much more.

As Uli Hesse writes in Tor!, “he did not sign established players but started building on what he had and then added a few very young prospects… the team that won promotion for Gladbach in 1964-65 was the youngest team among more than 100 in Germany. On average, a player in Weisweiler’s squad was 21.5 years old. The club came to be known as the Foals, a nickname destined to survive the decades”.

But Weisweiler also enhanced that youthful exuberance with the kind of football that would have rejuvenated any side.
“He wants no-holds-barred attacking football for 90 minutes,” Gunter Netzer once exclaimed.

But the effects of that would still be seen for more than nine years. Under Weisweiler, Gladbach would win three German titles and a Uefa Cup. A move to Barcelona proved the wrong chance as he clashed with Cruyff. But he returned to Germany and Koln to win another Bundesliga.

In the end, the only real mark against Weisweiler is that he never won a European Cup. And, as ever, Netzer articulated one possible reason.

“About once a year we stop talking to each other… I think you should take the pace out of a match when that’s called for.”
Like Wenger, it’s possible that the qualities which took him so far also cost him at the very, very top. The very best, after all, have always adapted.

Career Koln 1955-58; Viktoria Koln 1958-64; Borussia Monchengladbach 1964-75; Barcelona 1975-76; Koln 1976-80; New York Cosmos 1980-81; Grasshopper 1982-83
Trophies 1 Uefa Cup; 6 domestic titles (4 German, 1 Swiss, 1 American); 4 domestic cups

 

23. Guus Hiddink

Points 1290
Nationality Dutch

Some managers are adept at imposing a system on any team. Others a philosophy or general attitude. But there never been a manager in football history who has been as accomplished as Guus Hiddink at arriving at a team and seeing immediately what could be done by simply rearranging the resources available.

As his mentor Piet de Visser once told the Guardian, “he looks at the players, gets to know their best strengths and then decides the system… Remember that Hiddink thinks more in terms of the team playing in harmony, of the players coming up and coming back together. If Guus has two fantastic strikers he will play with them if three great strikers that will be the choice.”

Little wonder, then, that Hiddink has enjoyed international football so much. He took Holland to their first World Cup semi-final in 20 years and Russia to their first in any competition in the same amount of time. In between, of course, he broke Australia’s duck in the World Cup by bringing them to the last 16. But the most eye-catching example undoubtedly came in Korea in 2002.

“He’d observed that the players were strong physically,” De Vissier added, “so he decided on a 3-4-3 in which the front three would always press the defenders. The midfield was conventional so one defended, one attacked and there were two on the wings.”

In the academic study The 90-minute Manager, Professor Chris Brady and David Bolchover argue that international management is akin to a project and a club team like running a business day to day. That possibly explains the discrepancies in the careers of Helmut Schoen and Enzo Bearzot.

Again, however, Hiddink is unique in the manner he has successfully translated his skills across two fields and decades. Over 20 years after winning a treble at PSV, Hiddink was just short of doing the same at Chelsea.

The only real unqualified failures in his management career have been at Fenerbahce and Real Betis. Otherwise, he’s shown tangible improvement at 11 of his 13 jobs. None of football’s great nomads can match a rate like that.

Career De Graafschap 1982-84; PSV Eindhoven 1987-90; Fenerbahce 1990-91; Valencia 1991-94; Holland 1994-98; Real Madrid 1998-99; Real Betis 2000; South Korea 2000-02; PSV Eindhoven 2002-06; Australia 2005-06; Russia 2006-10; Chelsea 2009; Turkey 2010-
Trophies 1 European Cup; 6 Dutch titles; 5 domestic cups

 

22. Luiz Felipe Scolari

Points 1320
Nationality Brazilian

A striking fact about Luiz Felipe Scolari: he is the only manager in the history of world football to have lifted both a World Cup and a Copa Libertadores – doing the latter twice.

It’s for that reason that he can probably be forgiven for failing in a third field: European club football. Very, very few of even the greatest managers, after all, succeed in every possible circumstance. And eight months at Chelsea shouldn’t colour an entire career.

There may, however, be a wider issue about the exact type of conditions that Scolari does require. It is notable that his two Copa Libertadores victories – at Gremio and Palmeiras – came with squads much more known “for collective workmanship than individual brilliance”, as Brazilian journalist Fernando Duarte wrote.

What’s more, the 2002 World Cup win came a time when a bloated Brazilian squad was crying out for clear thought and an end to complacency. And yet there were still initial complaints when two unknowns in Gilberto Silva and Kleberson were made mainstays of the team.

A stereotypical patriarch, Scolari has never properly handled those who question authority. It is also interesting that his career at Chelsea and tournaments with Portugal ended in identical ways: a flurry of goals and talk of being favourites before a lot of blank scorelines as his sides lost ideas and impetus.

But, even if Scolari does have his limits, they’ve been pushed very far.

Career CSA 1982; Juventude 1982-83; Brasil de Pelotas 1983’ Al-Shabab 1984-85; Brasil de Pelotas; Juventude 1986-87; Gremio 1987; Goias 1988; Al Qadisiya 1988-90; Kuwait 1990; Criciuma 1991; Al-Ahli 1991; Al Qadisiya 1992; Gremio 1993-96; Jubilo Iwata 1996-97; Palmeiras 1997-2000; Cruzeiro 2001-02; Brazil 2001-02; Portugal 2003-08; Chelsea 2008-09; Bunyodkor 2009-10; Palmeiras 2010-
Trophies 1 World Cup; 2 Copa Libertadores; 1 Recopa Sudamericana; 2 domestic titles (1 Brazilian, 1 Uzbekistan); 3 Brazilian state championships; 4 domestic cups

 

21. Otto Rehhagel

Points 1335
Nationality German

It’s astonishing now to think how unsure Rehhagel was ahead of one of his first games as Greek manager. Just before taking his new team to Old Trafford for the final day of the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Rehhagel lamented “I have good footballers at my disposal but there is a serious attitude problem. I don’t think I can change that in time for the match against England.”

Oh he’d change it alright. And more. Mere days after being battered 5-1 by Finland in Rehhagel’s first match, Greece took England right to the wire in a 2-2 draw that almost prevented qualification. It was a game that became famous for David Beckham’s heroics. It should have become famous for the genesis of that Euro 2004 victory.

Because, within three years, the only attitude problem was that towards Greece’s reductive style. It’s far to say that they were only given grudging respect in a lot of quarters.

Not that Rehhagel cared. He had made a habit of lifting modest teams light years beyond their expectations. It started in the mid-70s when he won promotion for Borussia Dortmund and continued on at Kaiserslautern over two decades later when he immediately claimed the Bundesliga just a year after going up.

His keynote job before Greece came in between at Werder Bremen, however. Fourteen months after being signed by a second-division team in 1981, Rehhagel found himself celebrating qualification for the Uefa Cup. And, fourteen years later, he had created the most lasting Germany dynasty to challenge Bayern.

Indeed, Rehhagel’s two titles at Bremen saw Bayern eventually try and sign him. His spell in Munich ended in acrimony, however, as he clashed with Franz Beckenbauer. Some even said he was too rural and old-fashioned to take over such a cosmopolitan club.
Although he beat Bayern to the title with Kaiserslautern in 1998, the true riposte came in Portugal.

“People tell me my tactics are not modern,” Rehhagel scoffed. “But modern football is about winning.”

Career Saarbrucken 1972-73; Kickers Offenbach 1974-75; Werder Bremen 1976; Borussia Dortmund 1976-78; Arminia Bielefeld 1978-79; Fortuna Dusseldorf 1979-80; Werder Bremen 1981-95; Bayern Munich 1995-96; Kaiserslautern 1996-2000; Greece 2001-10
Trophies 1 European Championship; 1 Cup Winners Cup; 3 German titles; 3 German cups

 

Contents

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128 comments
MatthewDavies
MatthewDavies

What a biased piece on Ferguson ha ha ha ha ha everyone knows he DIDN'T and NEVER WILL match Paisley's trophies per season record and that's why he is such a bitter loser.  He will never beat LFC :-)

JerryHiggins86
JerryHiggins86

The thing most people ignore (or forget) about Fergie's European record is that the illegality of the Champions League rules in the 1990s weakened his United team. UEFA only allowed 2 foreign players per match day squad so he had to chose two out of Keane, Irwin, Cantona, Schmeichel, Kanchelskis to mention 5. This in turn did strenghten United in the future because the Nevilles, Beckham, Scholes, et al were thrown into European games because they had to.

MUckcRAcKER
MUckcRAcKER

As per my previous post assertion, Fergie is definitely not the Greatest!

 

A fair assessment of Fergie's Football Manager's Abilities is to gauge his success rate against his European/International Counterparts .

 

Fergie's success domestically comes from the fact that he is at the richest club dominating the PL to wit rapaciously raiding & weakening his domestic rivals  of its Marquee players (Rio, Rooney, Carrick, RVP et al).

Fergie is also well known for his legendary abuses & rants  of FA officials (Fined & disciplined for his recalcitrant behaviour)  to wit his 

Sending Off (MU players being sent off) or Penalties conceded or awarded in favour of MU.

 

Take away his domestic titles, ceteris paribus,

Fergie managerial record is not better than the likes of Dettmar Cramer,  Heynckes, Carlo Ancelotti, Hitzfeld, Brian Clough, Arrigo Sacchi, Happel, Herrera et al.

MUckcRAcKER
MUckcRAcKER

Its 2 years since this thread was posted & updated by the Author.

 

As the 'Devil's Advocate' one has to scrutinize or validates the assertions herein.

The last 2 seasons Fergie was Poor in European Campaigns.

Fergie's MU team was dumped out of the Minnows group & got KO by a real CL team this season.

 

In 26 YEARS  of LONGEVITY and at the Richest Club in PL History Fergie's European record is poor. Fergie  lacked EUROBILITY.

 

2 EC/CL titles when you compared to the likes of Pep (2 Titles in 4 yrs) , Paisley (3 in 9 yrs)  and more than 10 Great Managers (2 CL titles <20 years).

 

Fergie's record is equivalent to a striker having 2 goals in 26 Appearances. That's unacceptable based on his 26 years of longevity @ the richest club

 

All the domestic league titles or Honours?  

The Lion share of it is  expected from any manager @ the richest club of any League to wit

Old Firm in SPL,

Milan in Serie A,

RM/Barca in la liga or

MU in PL

 

Besides EUROBILITY  What's also important is tactical nous &  head to head results against his PEERS.

 

To wit in recent 11vs11 matches, MU team were beaten or humiliated by the likes of RM's City or RB Chelsea.

 

Don't Mistake Longevity for Talent or Greatness!

 

 

 

 

smithsim
smithsim

jelous twats 47 trophies and has beat cancer 5 times the closest i know to that is 26 fuck u all

Akiak
Akiak

Enjoyed the list, although I do think Rinus Michels is still the best of all time and deserves a much higher spot.

surutusurutu
surutusurutu

How can Carlos Bilardo a world cup winner in 1986 and a world cup runner up in 1990 be in 50th place while Alex Ferguson who never won a world cup match is 1st 

thefootballfan
thefootballfan

Ferguson does not know how to beat messi so he is shit

yahyohon87
yahyohon87

where is Tele Santana, Frens Bekkenbaur?!

yahyohon87
yahyohon87

* he make revolution (sorry, my english so bad)

yahyohon87
yahyohon87

I think R.michels is 1 st without no doubt, he's revolution in football,  he/s genius, 

 

2 nd Heleno Herrera, he's 1 st coach began playing countar attack in football

 

3rd Pep Guardiola

HarveyRayson
HarveyRayson

Vanderlei Luxemburgo? He won 5 Brazilian Serie A's, 13 Brazilian state championships, a Copa America, a Brazilian Serie B and a Brazilian Cup?

Ian9999
Ian9999

What about George Ramsay? 6 league and 6 FA cups alone should put him in the 20's. I imagine it would be hard to come up with figures for points 2 and 3 from your "how it works" page but surely he deserves a mention at least. Herbert Chapman gets in with 4 league and 2 FA and he was operating at the same time.

James Hutchfull
James Hutchfull

Understood, hence my comment! What lists are coming up?

Football Pantheon
Football Pantheon

It's only an opening for discussion/debate lads, not definitive!

nismoz
nismoz

@ ADAM BROWN . AND SO WHAT IF HE WON INTER A CL IN 45 YEARS. HITZFIELD WON DORTMUND THEIR FIRST EVER CL, HIDDINK WON PSV THEIR FIRST EVER CL WHATS SO SPECIAL BOUT WINNING CL IN 45 YEARS. INTER MILAN HAS ALWAIS BEEN IN THE CL YEAR AFTER YEAR. UR ARGUMENTS ARE JUST WEAK. MOURINHO NEVER CREATED THAT SIDE FROM SCRATCH COZ NEARLY ALL THE PLAYERS WERE ALREADY THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

nismoz
nismoz

Mate are u joking about mourinho!?!? Porto FC had 10 Portugal international players in that 2004 CL final lineup! If he was truly great he would of won Portugal La liga with Uniao de Leira. At chelsea, he squandered no less than 500million pounds in those 3.5 years and the only result he could manage was 2 EPL titles. Ferguson/Wenger did way better than him with half as much money spent on transfers, not only that they built several different sides throughout the decade. Mourinho could never produce his own players maintain longetivity. At Inter, his only main competitor was AS ROMA coz Juventus got relegated n AC Milan/Fiorentina/Lazio started off minus points in serie A table... wonder why he left Inter so soon? maybe coz he wasnt so great building sides other than given large transfer money to buy his way to a title or two. Inter Milan could never offer the kinda money RM offer him and yes he still sux coz he has the most expensive team in the world at RM but still cant manage to win Barcelona! His career stats against Barcelona stands 4W/6D/10L for a winning percantage of 20%, u wanna call that special?? Not so special if u sum it up all the money he has spent in those 4 clubs hes been at! Winning 2 CL is a achievement but at what kinda cost!? Hitzfield did it wit Dortmund and Bayern at the pinnacle of the world game in the mid-late 90s when Italian league was the benchmark of world football. But Mourinho had such a great side (10 of his porto players played for Portugal at Euro 04) people who has a brain can tell u that Mourinho isnt so great or innovative at what he does. He uses the same players same tactics over n over again and yes he can win all the crap teams but when it comes to the real deal, he stands in their shadow n the only excuses for those losses is OH REF CHEATED!

adamrhbrown
adamrhbrown

Definitely the best of your lists so far. One big debate is how a man as successful as Fergie can still be so denigrated. His comparative lack of tactical acumen may have been a barrier towards Man Utd creating a true European dynasty (well that and Messi's influence at Barcelona), but I cannot think of many other figures who would last a quarter of a century in such a top job. (Particularly interesting to compare his career with his good friend and fellow 'New Firm' boss, Jim McLean, who slowly drove himself insane with his commitment to the job.) Of course he has it easier than most in acquiring good players, but he has rarely bought already-established stars and there are countless examples of lesser figures struggling to control six-figure egos, let alone for so long.

Interesting to see you rate Ottmar Hitzfeld so highly. Even as a kid, seeing his name and face come up so often, I've long felt he's been underappreciated in Britain. Cloughie of course remains football's most enduring enigma. Taylor's name should always follow his though.

Hope something can be done to fix the difficulty international managers currently have on your system. Seeing as how everybody acknowledges the vital differences between the two jobs though, maybe it would be best to split club and country gaffers, as you've already done for teams.

Controversial opinion for this list - personally think Sacchi is a better self-publicist than a coach.

latofils
latofils

I really don't understand why vittorio pozzo never enters anyone's list this days we are talking about the greatest international managers and the inventor of the metodo system

Football Pantheon
Football Pantheon

It's certainly something we'd look into in the future. Also thinking of getting people to do well-argued rebuttals of our lists.

Derek Hopper
Derek Hopper

If you're looking for other writers I'd love to contribute something. I'm thinking a 10,000 word piece on the Ajax team of the early 70s.

Derek Hopper
Derek Hopper

My favourite manager-related story is when Shevchenko flew out to Kiev after he won the Champer's League and put his medal on the statue of Lobanovsky. Beautiful.

callumjhart17
callumjhart17

 @MUckcRAcKER That is the biggest pile of crap you've ever spoke. You mentioned Pep and Paisley, what they achieved don't get me wrong were great achievements no doubt, however, pep especially inherited what is looked at and is quite possibly the greatest team to have ever walked out onto a football pitch. Paisleys achievements were great too but that team was built by Shankley and already knew how to win. Sir Alex turned Man United from top 6 under achievers into the most decorated, hated and admired football team in british history and it was all his own work. And the stat of 2 in 26 being the equivalent to a striker scoring 2 in 26 is stupid, winning the champions league is the biggest achievement in club football and the fact Pep Guardiola done it twice in 4 years shouldn't be the benchmark as, as i said, the team he inherited is incredible more to the point built by another manager, Frank Riijkard.

JerryHiggins86
JerryHiggins86

 @surutusurutu He was briefly manager of Scotland but that wasn't his team. He was only there because of the death of Jock Stein, you can hardly hold that against him.

nismoz
nismoz

 @surutusurutu although ferguson hasnt won a world cup, but he has built so many dynasty over that 25 years period. The main factor which i think makes him stand out is the fact that when he joined Man Utd in 1987, Man Utd was nothing but a average joe in the 1st division. so it is magnificent achievement considering he built man utd reputation from "almost" scratch.

cfc912
cfc912

 @nismoz How stupid are you? Scolari only started two players from Mourinho's Porto team at the euro 2004 in the first match and they lost. Due to outcry from fans and the media, he placed most of Mourinho's players in the next match and they won comfortably. Please, learn your facts before you speak boy.

Coach Daniel
Coach Daniel

 @nismoz Your argument is not objective at all and is totally against the progress of the game.

adamrhbrown
adamrhbrown

@nismoz Mourinho made that Porto team from scratch with far more limited funds than he had at Chelsea. And you're being deliberately stupid to say he 'only' won two Premier League titles - he was only there for three years! And at Inter he didn't just win a weakened Serie A - he beat the side ranked 4th in FP's list of the greatest of all time and won their first European Cup in 45 years. And he'll probably win it again with Real Madrid this year.

So, he takes the big jobs. So what? Look at all the other men who fall short of his achievements with the same resources. No manager could win a major league title with a provincial club these days, not even Brian Clough. (Except perhaps in Germany.)

And finally, Mourinho has never created a dynasty, but he's not the only one on this list you can say that about. Some managers are dictators, some are wanderers. Some have been between the two. But it's not that important in evaluating their abilities.

nismoz
nismoz

 @cfc912 i think ur the real retarded one, the following players were well established internationals for portugal before Mourinho even joined Porto,  Vito Baia..Paulo Ferreira..Jorge Costa..Nuno Valente...Costinho..Pedro Mendes so where the fuk did u get "Mourinho created all these players into international players for portugal???" if u have no clue on the topic go n do some research before u open ur mouth again amateur!

nismoz
nismoz

 @Coach Daniel against the progress of the game? perhaps u shud explain urself in much more analytical details!??!

arditspahija
arditspahija

 @adamrhbrown  @nismoz look at him now,period,its easier to go to a team and stay there all your career,than to change teams and with every team splash it out and win everything!

nismoz
nismoz

@adamrhbrown@nismoz @adam brown, if u dont know what ur talkin about, do some research and see who were the players at Porto in season 2002-04. He inheritted most of the squad from the very beginning and Porto has always been a powerful in the early 2000s. if u have a brain there u would know EPL back in 2003-05 was by far easier to win than nowadays! Perhaps u have forgotten the only competitors back then was Man Utd and Arsenal where as now its teams like man city liverpool tottenham all have a fair crack at it. If Serie A without Juventus and AC Milan/Fiotenrina/Lazio all started off on minus points, common sence would prevail that the final standings on the seria A table would be affected?? Yes they beat Barcelona in 1st leg of the 2 leg semi final in 2010 CL, but whats his overall record against Barcelona again?? at inter, he faced barcelona 4 times for 1W/1D/2L and his overall record is by far alot worse. So buying his way to CL trophy only means that hes not innovative or bold enough to promote his own youth players and build his team around it. why did he leave Inter so soon? thats right majority of the players are nearing wrong 30s and he knows he cant build another team, thats why he ditched Inter Milan for RM.

nismoz
nismoz

 @cfc912 2 or 3 porto players?? so is it 2 or 3 lol u cant even get ur own facts right n sitting here making up numbers! the main argument here is mourinho had a full team of internationals at his disposal, whether its at euro 2000, or wc 2002 or euro 2004. all those players mentioned above had played in those tournaments.Porto before mourinho's arrival was already a powerhouse so grab urself a tissue box and find urself a corner doochebag!

cfc912
cfc912

 @nismoz Anyway, you're an idiot and have no idea about what you're saying. You're probably a new football fan and supports a bandwagon team. Your stupid little comments can't discredit Mourinho's achievements nor the countless players who praises him. 

cfc912
cfc912

 @nismoz  Anyone can get capped at International level you idiot, it doesn't mean they're a starter. Mourinho's success began 2 years and a half before 2004 so he did help turn them into starters.

cfc912
cfc912

 @nismoz  Please, moron, look at Scolari's team for the Euro 2004. He only started 2 or 3 Porto players and when they lost to Greece in the first match, the media and fans were in outrage and called for Mourinho's Porto players to play. And MOURINHO'S team, led them to the final.

nismoz
nismoz

 @arditspahija  @adamrhbrown I think you play too much fantasy football, if you think its easier to stay at one club n develop world class players and bring them through to first team, why doesnt mourinho do that at chelsea, inter milan or even real madrid?? or should i say it wud be so much easier if you buy every top class player from other clubs and weaken their strength so you can win all the titles?? that's effectively what mourinho did, jump around clubs and buy all the players he think will weaken his enemy! if he cud buy barcelona he wud, only idiots are kept in the dark about him getting rejected for the barcelona head coaching job in 2008!

nismoz
nismoz

 @adamrhbrown  @Adam first of all, get urself some medication before you post any further comments. i know ur good at reading magazines and stats but only an idiot like you wud sit here and say he's a god coz he won inter a triple. Alot of teams in the past had won triple by beating some of the best teams of their era eg) Man Utd v Juventus in 1999, despite the fact Inter beat barcelona in 1 game (from a milito offside goal) doesn't mean they are really better. otherwise all the teams that had beaten barcelona over the past 4 years wud of been rated higher than barcelona. secondly, if you think its hard to win serie a titles in that era, think again who was the coach before Mourinho at Inter Milan? i am sure ur google search would tell u its Mr Mancini who had won 2 serie a titles before mourinho's arrival. The only difference is, Mancini had less money to spend compare to Mourinho. In Mancini's 4 years at Inter, his total spending was 108.5 million euros ( first 2 years he only spent 30 million). Compare to Mourinho's 2 years spending of 135 million euros explains why Mourinho achieved better results. Anyone wanna argue, here's the proof:  http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/inter-milan/transfers/verein_46_2010_default_default_alle_a.html 

nismoz
nismoz

@adamrhbrown@Adam EVEN MORE FUNNY IS WHEN ALL THE COACHES IN THE WORLD PRAISE FOR BARCELONA EXCEPT MOURINHO WHO HAS NOTHING ELSE TO SAY OTHER THAN OHH REF CHEATED THIS REF CHEATED THAT WE DIDNT GET ANY PENALTIES SO CR7 COULDNT SCORE!

nismoz
nismoz

@adamrhbrown@Adam LOL @ ADAM BROWN AGAIN WITH UR COMMENTS ABOUT MAKING FERGUSONS TEAM LOOK ORDINARY! PERHAPS U HAVE FORGOTTEN BOUT HOW MUCHMONEY RM SPENT ON BUILDING THIS EXPENSIVE SIDE? COMPARING FERGUSONS SIDE TO MOURINHOS SIDE, U CAN PRETTY MUCH SAY FERGUSONS NURTURED HIS YOUTH INTO THE FULL TEAM WHERE AS MOURINHO BOUGHT ALL THE ESTABLISHED PLAYERS WITH MASSIVE TRANSFER PRICES AND YET THEY STILL GET EMBARRASED IN ALL 10 EL CLASSICOS. SO U TELL ME WHOS MORE OVERATTED? SOMEONE WHO SPENDS LESS AND GENERATE 3-4 GENERATIONS OF GREAT SIDES AND WIN ENDLESS TROPHIES OR SOMEONE WHO JUMPS AROUND DIFFERENT CLUBS AND SPENT 800 MILLION POUNDS AND WIN COUPLE TROPHIES HERE N THERE

nismoz
nismoz

@adamrhbrown@Adam LOL @ ADAM BROWN FOR FYI 10 of Mourinhos Porto Players played for Portugal in that era. In the 2004 CL Final there was 9 portugal internationals in the starting lineup. Its like saying Barcelona has 9 players playing Spain or Vice versa. Mourinho Inheritted a Portugal national side by virtue of default and this era was by far Portugals golden era! from Euro 2000 to WC2006 they had wonderful runs in international tournaments and nearly all the Porto players in that side had already played for Portugal! The only reason why Porto didnt win another CL was coz Mourinho took all the players with him over to Chelsea and half other players all departed for other richer clubs. Same theory with Chelsea, if hes so great like he self proclaimed being the special one, how come he fuked up @ Chelsea when he had Roman's deep pockets to line up his ego!?!? Subsequent coaches in chelsea and inter all failed to match his consistency is not coz of his true ability rather its his incompetency not developing his own youth players and promote em when chances arises, he just buys all the established players for quick fixes and when they are nearing the wrong end of 30s, Mourinho jus flys the nest and goes to another club which gives him more transfer money! As i mentioned above, hes only good at buying his way to trophies for short term success when it comes to stay in one team and build a dynasty and develop his own young players and maintaining longetivity, hes no where near the same level as Guardiola/Ferguson/Wenger etc.

adamrhbrown
adamrhbrown

@nismoz@Adam Interesting that you have ignored my main point - comparing Mourinho's record with others who have done the same jobs recently. Porto's players were not as weak as is often made out, but who else could have taken them anywhere near a Champions League triumph? Not many. How many of his Chelsea successors have struggled to match him for consistency?All of them. You may argue he took over at Inter at just the right moment, but again they weren't much use in Europe before he went there. And his overall record against Barcelona doesn't matter if he takes Real to the title and a 10th European Cup. Alex Ferguson's teams have been made to look very ordinary against Barca recently. Does that make him an overrated manager? Does it make Guardiola the best manager today? Not necessarily.

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