Pep Guardiola has emerged as the best manager in 2023 ESPN’s ranking list of top football managers in the world (FC100).
Below are 2023 top ten best managers in the world based on the FC100 ranking led by Pep Guardiola:
1. Pep Guardiola, Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has achieved his second treble as a manager, this time with Manchester City years after achieving the feat with Barcelona.
The remarkable football played by Manchester City throughout the season, along with their accomplishment, surpasses all expectations.
Pep Guardiola is responsible for the transformation of John Stones, the record-breaking season of Erling Haaland, and the resurrection of Manuel Akanji.
For many, he was already considered the greatest manager of all time even before this remarkable season.
He is now undoubtedly considered by many to be ahead of Arrigo Sacchi, Johan Cruyff, Sir Alex Ferguson, Ancelotti, and all the other greats. It was a truly remarkable season for an exceptional manager.
2. Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid
Over the last two years, Ancelotti has achieved an impressive collection of trophies during his time at Madrid.
In 2022, he secured victories in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Supercopa.
Additionally, in 2023, Ancelotti led the team to triumph in the Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
Last season was a disappointment in comparison to the previous one for Madrid.
They were unable to keep up with Barcelona’s pace in La Liga. However, reaching the Champions League semifinals and being defeated by Manchester City, the top team in the world, was a commendable achievement.
Since both Real Madrid and Brazil express interest in having Ancelotti as their coach, it is a clear indication that he is doing something exceptionally well.
3. Luciano Spalletti, Napoli
The achievements of Napoli in the 2022-23 season are truly remarkable, thanks to Luciano Spalletti’s incredible tactics.
Despite the departure of key veterans such as Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, Fabian Ruiz, and Kalidou Koulibaly during the preseason, Napoli managed to secure an impressive 21 wins in their first 25 Serie A games.
As a result, the title race became a comfortable and effortless journey for them with the presence of an outstanding coach.
Victor Osimhen’s journey to becoming an elite striker has been further solidified with his impressive tally of 31 goals in all competitions.
This achievement can be attributed to the exceptional tactical guidance provided by Spalletti, who played a crucial role in helping the team achieve their goals.
4. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal
Although the season did not end as Arteta had hoped, Arsenal still greatly surpassed expectations.
At the beginning of the campaign, his objective was to successfully secure a return to the Champions League, and he managed to achieve that with plenty of room to spare.
One drawback was that Arsenal held the top spot in the Premier League for the majority of the year, giving fans hope for their first title since 2004.
However, they were ultimately surpassed by Manchester City, who went on to achieve a treble.
Although the season ended in disappointment for Arteta, he ultimately proved any doubts about his ability to assemble a world-class team wrong.
5. Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool
The Reds have finished outside of the Premier League top four for the first time since Klopp’s first season in October 2015, when he took over a disappointing squad.
However, Liverpool had the third-highest number of goals scored and achieved the fourth-best goal differential in the Premier League last season.
They emerged victorious in the Community Shield, triumphed in five out of six Champions League group-stage matches and achieved impressive victories in Premier League matches.
The Reds had scores of 9-0, 7-0 (against Manchester United), and 6-1, and concluded the Premier League season with an unbeaten streak of 11 matches.
Klopp has the record of winning three league titles and three domestic cups, as well as reaching three Champions League finals and winning one, with both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.
6. Lionel Scaloni, Argentina
When Scaloni was appointed as the coach of Argentina in 2018, he probably couldn’t have imagined a more successful tenure.
In just under five years of leadership, he has achieved an impressive record of 41 victories out of 61 games.
Notably, his team secured the Copa America title in 2021 and emerged victorious in the World Cup in 2022.
Scaloni successfully maximized Lionel Messi’s potential and demonstrated his tactical acumen by making adjustments to his system during the World Cup campaign in Qatar.
He made the brilliant decision to include Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez, which yielded fantastic outcomes in the Qatar World Cup victory.
7. Ten Hag, Manchester United
The Dutch manager was given the responsibility of revitalising a struggling Manchester United team and bringing new energy to Old Trafford.
Ten Hag accomplished this by making challenging and occasionally risky decisions.
He demonstrated courage by opposing Cristiano Ronaldo, displayed confidence in his signings of established United players on certain occasions, and remained steadfast in his football principles.
Despite initial doubts about Ten Hag’s ability to lead a complex club, he has proven himself to be among the coaching elite.
8. Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton & Hove Albion
The rise of Brighton is truly a fairytale, and De Zerbi deserves more than just a few chapters in recognition of how the Seagulls soared to new heights under his leadership.
After Graham Potter and several key players departed Brighton, De Zerbi skillfully transformed the remaining squad into a formidable and highly effective counter-attacking team.
Notably, they achieved impressive victories over top-tier opponents such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal (which effectively ended their title challenge), and Manchester City throughout the season.
9. Simone Inzaghi, Inter Milan
After leading Inter to a second-place finish in the 2021-22 season with an impressive tally of 84 goals in 38 games, Inzaghi continued to keep the Nerazzurri competitive in domestic competitions, securing victories in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia.
However, his most notable achievements came in the Champions League.
Inter reached their first Champions League final in 13 years under Inzaghi’s high-intensity tactics.
They outperformed Barcelona in the group stage and triumphed over Porto, Benfica, and their rivals AC Milan on their journey to a commendable 1-0 loss against Manchester City in the final.
10. XAVI, Barcelona
Xavi has successfully restored Barcelona’s pride. Barcelona clinched their first LaLiga title since 2019 in the 2022-23 season.
This victory can be attributed to Xavi’s meticulous planning and organization, resulting in a formidable team that only allowed 20 goals in 38 matches.
Their impressive performance secured them a comfortable 10-point lead over Real Madrid.
His most significant failure was a disastrous Champions League campaign, during which Barcelona lost three out of their six group-stage games and was subsequently eliminated.
Furthermore, their performance in the Europa League was also underwhelming.
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