{"id":1232544,"date":"2026-06-08T10:38:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T09:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1232544"},"modified":"2026-06-08T10:38:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T09:38:42","slug":"top-10-best-out-of-work-managers","status":"publish","type":"cult-corner","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/cult-corner\/top-10-best-out-of-work-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranked: The top 10 available managers right now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Football management is a brutal industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what they’ve achieved, managers are only a few bad results away from the chopping block at most clubs. It’s especially the case in more recent times, as clubs chase instant success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may explain why there are often more than a few elite coaches resting up while their fellow managers slog it out on the sidelines. Some are waiting for the right role, while others won’t stay unemployed for too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But who are the high-profile available football managers right now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honourable mentions: Bruno Lage, Patrick Vieira, Stefano Pioli, Thiago Motta, Sean Dyche, Liam Rosenior, Filipe Luis, Gareth Southgate<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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    10. Thomas Frank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you were looking at Thomas Frank’s Brentford<\/a> tenure on its own, he’d be much higher up his list. His time at Tottenham Hotspur<\/a>, though, has brought him down. But Frank is still a very capable manager. The fact that Ange Postecoglou also struggled at Tottenham may point to signs that their problems run deeper than just the man in charge. But Frank was appointed for the work he had done on the other side of London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When Frank took over at Brentford in 2018, the Bees were mid-table in the Championship. And he had a tough start. But Frank eventually got things up and running, leading Brentford to the Championship by 2021. And Frank’s Brentford took the Premier League by storm. They didn’t look out of place at England’s top table, with Frank using statistics to improve the way his team played. It was seen as revolutionary, and earned Frank the reputation he has. The Tottenham tenure was bad, but Frank will no doubt be on a lot of wishlists soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    9. Ruben Amorim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Ruben Amorim’s time at Manchester United<\/a> will no doubt sully his name among some fans. But it’s a lot more complicated than that. And Amorim is still very much a good manager. In just a few months at Braga — his first spell as a senior manager — Amroim led the club to Portuguese League Cup success, beating Porto in the final. He also went unbeaten domestically, which led to him being poached by Sporting CP<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In Lisbon, Amorim made Sporting CP the team to beat in Portugal over a few seasons. They won the league in his first full season in charge, a first success in the league for 19 years. Sporting had the same number of points the following season but had to settle for second. He led Sporting to another league title in 2023-24 and set them well on their way to success in 2024-25, before joining Man Utd. The less said about his time at Old Trafford, the better. But there were still some signs of his quality, amid the circus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    8. Enzo Maresca<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Enzo Maresca was another manager to have been impacted by overbearing higher-ups. According to some reports and speculation, the Italian was being forced to pick certain players for Chelsea<\/a>, hampering his chances. He did cause some issues himself due to tactics and in-game changes, but Maresca had success. He led Chelsea to success in the Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup, all while not playing a single player over the age of 27. Maresca masterminded some big wins too, not least over Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> in the Club World Cup final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And let’s not forget his work at Leicester City<\/a> too, leading them back to the Championship at the first time of asking. The Foxes won an impressive 97 points in the Championship, again with a large emphasis on younger players. Maresca probably won’t be a free agent for long and has been tipped to be next in line for the Manchester City<\/a> job this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. Oliver Glasner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You cannot understate the work that Oliver Glasner has done. He has two European trophies to his name as a manager, and made history at Crystal Palace<\/a>. It’s not hyperbole to say that he’s arguably the best manager in Crystal Palace’s history. He ended their wait for a first-ever major trophy in 2024-25, lifting the FA Cup. And they went one better a year later, winning the Uefa Conference League! This, from a team looking in danger of relegation when he took over. Sure, Palace’s league form still wasn’t the best under Glasner but he will never be forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s a similar case at Eintracht Frankfurt<\/a>, with whom Glasner won the 2021-22 Europa League. That run included a win over Barcelona, knocking the European giants — who had dropped down from the Champions League –out. Again, cup success did come at the expense of league struggles, which is what counts slightly against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. Arne Slot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Arne Slot’s ending at Liverpool<\/a> was a sad one. The Reds looked a shadow of the team that had won the Premier League a year earlier. But they had won the Premier League, and Slot had more than played his part. Some people will claim that he led Liverpool to Premier League glory thanks to Jurgen Klopp’s setup, and there is some fairness to that. But he still had a lot of work to do, managing a Liverpool side with a lot of key players the wrong side of their peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And look at his record before Liverpool. Slot ended Feyenoord’s six-year wait for an Eredivisie title in 2022-23 — one of just two league successes they’ve had this century. The Rotterdam club also reached the Uefa Conference League final the season before, only narrowly losing to Jose Mourinho’s Roma. Across 148 games, Slot’s Feyenoord scored 346 goals and won 97 matches, adding the 2023-24 KNVB-Beker to their league title. He’ll bounce back soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

    5. Ernesto Valverde<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Ernesto Valverde seems to be loved at almost every club he has managed. And that doesn’t happen if you aren’t a good manager. He has become synonymous with Athletic Bilbao over the years and will forever be remembered for the work done there. In terms of trophies, it has only<\/em> led to one Copa del Rey in 2023-24 but that’s Athletic Bilbao’s sole success in over 40 years. Valverde is a legend and the reason why Athletic Bilbao are where they are today. He’s also a hero at Olympiacos, overseeing three title wins including back-to-back successes in 2010-11 and 2011-12. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even when he came under fire for his time at Barcelona<\/a>, Valverde still led the club to two league titles. That included a run which saw them only lose one league game in 2017-18, their penultimate match against Levante in which Valverde had rested Lionel Messi. Of course, the big failure there was the lack of Champions League. Still, there’s no denying that Valverde is one of the best managers of the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Xavi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Xavi hasn’t been in the management game long, compared to some of the men on this list, but he’s already built a decent record. The Spaniard started his managerial career in Qatar with Al-Sadd, having ended his career at the club. It was at Al-Sadd that Xavi honed his skills, eventually making the much-expected switch to Barcelona in November 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He took charge of a Barcelona side lacking any real identity, and in his first season, there were periods of struggle, but work was happening. It’s work that came to fruition in the second season as Xavi led Barcelona to the league title, his first full campaign as manager. It was a romp to the title too, as Barcelona finished 10 points clear. The third season wasn’t as good, but Xavi was dealing with injury issues and problems with the club off the pitch. He announced his intention to leave the club, was persuaded to stay and then sacked at the end of the season. When he’s ready, Xavi may be the free agent every club wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Jurgen Klopp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Jurgen Klopp has been out of the management game for two years since leaving Liverpool. Klopp was considered for new coaching positions, and it’s been reported that the United States approached him before hiring Mauricio Pochettino. It’s easy to understand why there was interest in Klopp, given his successful transformations of both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Under his leadership, Liverpool went from being in danger of dropping into mid-table obscurity to securing a long-awaited league title. Klopp’s style of football is also exciting, and he will have his pick of top coaching jobs when he’s ready. Although he says he doesn’t miss coaching. It’s also worth noting that he’s currently the global head of soccer at Red Bull, so a new coaching position isn’t likely in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Zinedine Zidane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We grew so used to watching Zinedine Zidane lift trophies as a manager, it’s easy to forget he hadn’t been in management long. But during that time, he won two La Liga titles and three consecutive Champions Leagues with Real Madrid<\/a>, alongside a wealth of Super Cups and Club World Cups. It is a trophy haul many could only dream of across an entire career.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    After failing to deliver any silverware in 2020-21, the Frenchman left the Bernabeu claiming Madrid didn’t show enough faith in him. He hasn’t managed since, waiting for the right job. We all know what that job is, but it’s still a few months out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That’s because France manager Didier Deschamps has confirmed he will step down from the role after the 2026 World Cup. So Zidane may hold off, given he has a very good chance of becoming the next Les Bleus<\/em> boss. According to reports, a deal is already in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Pep Guardiola<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Pep Guardiola will stay top of this list until he decides he is ready to return to management. The Catalan manager is one of the best managers of all-time, let alone one of the best right now. He recently called time on a 10-year stay with Manchester City, during which he only added to his packed trophy cabinet. Guardiola won the Premier League six times, including a record four-in-a-row between 2020-21 and 2023-24. He also led Man City to there FA Cups, five Carabao Cups and the Champions League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Management started before Man City for Guardiola, of course. But it’s more of the same. With Barcelona, Guardiola won three league titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Rey trophies. At Bayern Munich<\/a> he won three Bundesligas and two DFB-Pokals. Outside of the trophies, Guardiola has also revolutionised modern football and changed it forever. There may never be another like him.<\/p>\n\n\n

    Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n