Managing a soccer club is a herculean task. One has to manage egos in the dressing room, maintain a good rapport with the owners, make the right decisions in the transfer market, and, most importantly, take the club to big wins and coveted trophies. Even the slightest of mistakes and all the hard work go down in drain, with the owners rarely hesitating to swing the axe for the apparent betterment of their clubs.
Today, we will take a look at five top managers who have either been sacked or have taken time off to heal their nerves. Below are five world-class managers who are out of work in January 2024.
#5 Laurent Blanc – Last Team Managed: Lyon
Renowned French tactician Laurent Blanc was relieved of his managerial responsibilities at Olympique Lyon on September 11, 2023. The 58-year-old dismissal came on the back of Lyon’s lackluster start to the Ligue 1 season, with them dropping 11 points in their first four games, losing thrice and drawing once.
Blanc’s most memorable managerial spell came between June 2013 and June 2016 at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He took charge of the Parisians in 173 games, guiding them to 126 wins, 31 draws, and only 16 defeats. He won 11 trophies at the Parc des Princes, including three league titles and two Coupe de France trophies.
#4 Joachim Low – Last Team Managed: Germany
Legendary German tactician Joachim Low has been out of a job since parting ways with the Germany national team in July 2021. His dismissal came on the back of Germany’s elimination from the 2021 European Championship in the Round of 16. Low was in charge of Die Mannschaft for a whopping 15 years after earning a well-deserved promotion from the assistant manager’s seat in July 2006.
Low did not win much with club teams, but his spell with Germany was one for the ages. Managing the national team in 198 matches, the 63-year-old oversaw 129 wins, 39 draws, and 34 defeats. His greatest achievement, of course, arrived in 2014, when Germany lifted the FIFA World Cup, beating Argentina in the final.
#3 Antonio Conte – Last Team Managed: Tottenham Hotspur
Italian maestro Antonio Conte and Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur put an end to their unhappy marriage on March 26, 2023, about 16 months after he moved to north London. Unlike most of the other names on this list, Conte’s departure was not based purely on performance, as Spurs had won thrice and drawn twice in his last seven games. Poor interpersonal relationships with players as well as the club hierarchy arguably had a bigger role to play in his exit.
Before his disastrous spell at Tottenham, Conte enjoyed a lot of success with Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan. He guided Juve to three Serie A titles, Chelsea to the Premier League title and the FA Cup, and Inter Milan to the Italian top-flight championship.
#2 Jose Mourinho – Last Team Managed: AS Roma
The most recent addition to this elite list, Jose Mourinho was let go by Serie A side AS Roma on Tuesday, January 16. Roma’s decision came on the back of a string of poor results, with La Lupa winning just one of their last five Serie A matches (1 draw, 3 defeats). They also crashed out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals after losing to local rivals Lazio on January 9.
One of the most entertaining personas in soccer, Mourinho has an envious resume. He won the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto and Inter Milan, lifted three Premier League titles with Chelsea, won the La Liga title with Real Madrid, lifted the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United, and took Roma to UEFA Europa Conference League glory, amongst others. Given Mourinho’s talents and eagerness to manage, it is unlikely that he will stay unemployed for long.
#1 Zinedine Zidane – Last Team Managed: Real Madrid
At the summit sits Real Madrid icon and one of the finest players the game has ever seen, Zinedine Zidane. Unlike the other world-class managers on this list, Zidane has only coached one club in his career. However, he managed to win all the major accolades in soccer in under five years at Real Madrid.
In his first spell, between January 2016 and May 2018, Zidane won a historic three consecutive UEFA Champions League trophies and a La Liga title with the Merengues. Zidane stepped down as manager after the 2017-18 season to spend more time with family. The 1998 FIFA World Cup winner returned to the hot seat when Madrid called him again in March 2019. He won one La Liga title and one Supercopa de Espana trophy before resigning once more at the end of the 2020-21 season.
According to sources, Zidane does not want to take on any managerial roles for the time being, as he is focused on succeeding Didier Deschamps as France’s manager.
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