Europe's 12 best new up-and-coming football managers

The managerial dynasties of Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, and Carlo Ancelotti have given Europe's top competitions years of intense football rivalries, tactical innovations and some of the highest-quality football matches ever played.

Now, with Jürgen Klopp moving on from Liverpool at the end of the season, a new era for football managers and coaches is beginning to emerge.

Europe is now seeing young, hungry, and intelligent former players finding their feet as managers, with many already overcoming adversity to achieve success.

We've compiled the ultimate list of European managers whose stars are on the rise. We look at their potential to become elite coaches, and their ability to manage at the very top of football in the coming seasons.

We take a look at their tactics, their backstories, and what makes them some of the most exciting up-and-coming managers in Europe.

12. Will Still (Lens)

Will Still, 31, is a bilingual English manager who managed French Ligue 1 side, Reims, before mutually parting ways and joining Lens as their manager for the 2024/25 season.

Will Still's rise through the ranks at Reims has been well documented, starting his career as a video analyst the then 31-year-old took over as manager at Reims after Oscar Garcia was sacked.

Having introduced a pragmatic way of playing given the resources available to him, Will Still has developed a name for himself by giving players like Florian Balogun a new lease of life.

Will Still's style is incredibly adaptable and attractive, with many in the footballing world excited to see what this young well-travelled Englishman does in the coming years.

11. García Pimienta (Sevilla)

Having followed the same managerial pathway as Pep Guardiola, the former La Masia coach has been quietly hyped by those in and around Barcelona for several years now.

Pimienta, 49, was suddenly sacked by Joan Laporta as manager of Barcelona B, which came as a shock to many around the Catalonian club.

In 2022, Las Palmas took a bit of a gamble by appointing García Pimienta, a relatively unknown coach at the time. Sitting in LaLiga 2, Pimienta introduced his impressive passing and build-up style relatively quickly.

Since gaining promotion, Las Palmas were been able to maintain their passing style, even against the elite teams in LaLiga, which has caught the eye of many top European clubs – with Pimienta firmly the centre of that attention.

Las Palmas were the surprise package of LaLiga in 23/24, with Pimienta securing top-flight football for next season with a squad and a club that had the lowest wage budget in the Spanish top flight.

Pimienta has since moved to Sevilla, and has already begun the implementation of his unique possession-based philosophy which has largely been inspired by the great Johan Cruyff.

Pimienta's teams are a joy to watch, and there is a lot of excitement and speculation about what he will be able to achieve this season with Sevilla.

10. Andoni Iraola (AFC Bournemouth)

Andoni Iraola follows a long line of elite managers who were born in the Basque country. Praised as a region of hard-working, strong individuals, the Basque country has produced incredible footballers and managers, with Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta, and Xabi Alonso to name but a few all hailing from the region.

Iroala was a product of Atheltic Club in his playing years, and spent 15 years playing in Bilbao.

Athletic Club have been praised for their Basque-only transfer policy, known as the Cantera policy, which made it a hotbed for developing football talent.

Iraola as a player was tough, combative, and physical, and has taken his playing style into management. His teams, Rayo Vallecano and now AFC Bournemouth have embodied who Iraola was as a player, with their high-pressing, high-intensity, and high-intensity making them tough to play against.

Iraola has been heralded as one of the most exciting managers of his generation, and at only 41 years old, he has an exciting managerial career ahead of him, with the potential to become one of Europe's elite coaches.

9. Peter Bosz (PSV Eindhoven)

PSV Eindhoven are on the cusp of winning the Eredivisie for the first time since the 2017/18 season. Much of what has driven the Dutch club this season is the style of play introduced by Peter Bosz.

Bosz is no newcomer to football management, the 60-year-old has been on the periphery of Europe's elite for several years now, with some underwhelming stints at Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Lyon.

Influenced by the style of football of Johan Cruyff, Peter Bosz has finally found a team and a club in PSV Eindhoven that has allowed him to introduce his philosophies successfully.

If Bosz can win successful back-to-back Eredivisie titles in 2024/25, he may follow in the footsteps of fellow Dutchman Arne Slot in joining one of Europe's elite clubs.

8. Kieran McKenna (Ipswich Town)

Kieran McKenna has transformed the fortunes of Ipswich Town, after being appointed in December 2021, the East Anglian club were languishing in mid-table.

McKenna quickly got the team playing in his style, a 4-2-3-1 system that is direct, relentless, and intense. The was promoted in McKenna's first season to the Championship, England's second tier. After an impressive season in the Championship, McKenna secured remarkable back-to-back promotions, meaning Ipswich will play in the Premier League in the 2024/25 season.

Kieran McKenna's star has risen so much so that he has been touted as a possible candidate to take over from Erik Ten Hag at his former club Manchester United where he was assistant manager to José Mourinho. And most recently, McKenna has been approached by Brighton to become their new manager.

McKenna's teams, like many on this list, rely on attractive patterns of play, designed to break the press of the opposition and create space on the wings for the full-backs to run into. This is epitomised by left-back Leif Davis, who sits top of the Championship's assists chart, with 17 assists for the season.

7. Francesco Farioli (Ajax)

Farioli is a former protege of Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi, where his managerial acumen began to flourish.

De Zerbi, now with Brighton, played a pivotal role in Farioli's return to Italian football, first with Benevento and later Sassuolo.

Farioli's coaching journey took him to Qatar, where he honed his skills with the Aspire Academy and the national under-17 team before making his mark in Turkey with Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor.

His tactical versatility was evident at Alanyaspor, where he adeptly balanced between a three- and four-man defence, emphasising a dynamic attacking approach with a lone striker supported by creative midfielders.

Despite resigning from Alanyaspor in January, Farioli's astute observations of French football, combined with his ambitious mindset, propelled him towards his latest role as the head coach of OGC Nice in Ligue 1 Uber Eats where he caught the attention of European clubs.

OGC Nice finished 5th in Ligue 1 last season, and wereheralded as one of the most exciting, attractive and entertaining teams to watch in Europe.

Farioli was announced as the head coach of Eredivisie giants, Ajax, in May 2024.

6. Paulo Fonseca

Paulo Fonseca transitioned from a modest playing career to a remarkable managerial journey, marked by early successes with smaller Portuguese clubs like Pinhalnovense and Paços de Ferreira, where he notably secured a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga.

His managerial acumen truly flourished abroad, notably with Shakhtar Donetsk, where he clinched three consecutive Ukrainian Premier League titles and made a notable impact in European competitions.

Despite facing challenges with Porto and Roma, Fonseca's tactical astuteness and commitment to offensive play have consistently distinguished him as a formidable manager, culminating in his former role as head coach of LOSC Lille in the French Ligue 1.

His attacking style and competitive teams caught the attention of many of Europe's top clubs, including Liverpool, Newcastle and Barcelona, but it was AC Milan who finally made the decision to lure the Portuguese manager to Serie A where he currently works.

5. Sebastian Hoeneß (VfB Stuttgart)

Sebastian Hoeneß (or Sebastian Hoeness) is one of the most exciting young managers in German football, and is speculated to follow in the footsteps of the great German managers. The Munich-born manager, like so many managers on this list, didn't play in the upper echelons of European football.

However, since becoming a manager, Sebastian Hoeness has taken Stuttgart to the top four in the Bundesliga, with the team playing an attractive brand of football.

Hoeneß has already been tipped as a candidate for roles such as the Bayern Munich job, and to become Chelsea manager, with some in Germany already tipping the manager to become a future German National team manager.

4. Míchel (Girona)

To become an elite manager, it's argued that you must experience the lows of football to learn and develop. Jürgen Klopp was relegated from the Bundesliga with Mainz 05 in 2005/26, and after failing to secure promotion, he resigned in 2008.

Míchel, 48, similarly was relegated in his first managerial tenure with Rayo Vallecano, which led to him being sacked. He then joined Huesca, but was relieved of his duties after the team were languishing at the bottom of LaLiga 2.

It came as a shock to Girona fans when Míchel was appointed on a one-year deal in 2021 to attempt to promote Girona from the Spanish Second Division.

The City Group-owned club achieved promotion in his first year, and since then Míchel has taken LaLiga by storm with his all-out-attack mentality. The team currently sit in 3rd place in LaLiga, and are set to embark on a historic European campaign next season.

3. Thiago Motta (Juventus)

Motta, 41, rose to prominence as a head coach with with Bologna after a couple of false starts.

Thiago Motta introduced an impressive system at Bologna that had them competing with Serie A's elite.

Motta was praised for his man management, his ability to build a squad in his vision, and his ability to improve players such as Riccardo Calafiori and Lewis Ferguson who were integral to Bologna's successes last season.

Motta was poached at the start of the 2024/25 season by Juventus to be their new head coach, with many believing that the Italian could go on to become one of Europe's next elite managers.

2. Ruben Amorim (Manchester United)

Ruben Amorim had already won 5 trophies with Sporting before joining Manchester United in November 2024.

Amorim left Lisbon as a legend after winning the Primeira Liga title in his first season, the club's first league title in almost 20 years.

Amorim has received plaudits for his 3-4-3 system which is difficult to break down, and hard to play against.

Players like Viktor Gyökeres have flourished under Amorim, with the former Sporting manager seemingly flawless when it comes to recruiting players for specific roles in his system.

The Swedish striker, who moved to Lisbon from the Championship for a mere €24 million, is one of the most prolific strikers in Europe.

Amorim has his hands full at Manchester United, but if the 39-year-old Portuguese manager can deliver in one of Europe's biggest leagues, he will undoubtedly become one of the best managers in the world.

1. Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen)

Xabi Alonso has it all: charisma, determination, and focus on the details. After an incredible playing career at clubs Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Sociedad and Real Madrid, the Spaniard took to management.

Starting his coaching career at his boyhood club, Real Sociedad B, Alonso was quickly identified by Bayer Leverkusen management as an up-and-coming coach.

In 2022/23, his first season managing in the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso took Bayer 04 from second-bottom to a phenomenal 6th-place finish.

Alonso was then able to follow up this incredible feat by winning Leverkusen's first Bundesliga title in the club's history.

After being touted by Europe's elite clubs, Alonso opted to stay at Bayer Leverkusen to finish what he started.

It won't be long before Xabi Alonso is managing Europe's biggest clubs, challenging the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp as the best coaches in Europe.

All the managers featured on our definitive list of Europe's next elite football coaches have the potential to go all the way to the top. The next step for these managers will be their consistency to win at the elite level, their ability to adapt to new tactical advances of the game, and their ability to pick projects and clubs that match their ambitions.

Here are some honourable mentions for managers who didn't make the list, but that are ones to watch out for over the coming seasons. Whilst they play attractive football, some of the below managers were not chosen due to their lack of adaptability, tactical flexibility or in-game management capabilities.

Related stories:

• Best young players in the Premier League to watch in 2024/25
• Premier League goals conceded from set-pieces stats in 23/24 [ranked]
• Top 10 highest-paid English Premier League managers in 2024
• Europe's up-and-coming elite football managers [ranked]
• 20 highest-scoring teams in Europe's biggest five leagues in 23/24 [ranked]

If you want more in-depth football analysis and exclusive stories like this, consider becoming a part of our growing community of cultured football fans with our free and paid memberships. Your support is vital to our ability to grow and improve our football reporting capabilities.