In today’s world, the transfer market has become incredibly lucrative with hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on players every year. As a result, the weekly wages of players have skyrocketed, and the salaries of the managers have also increased significantly.
The managers of the top European clubs are amongst the highest-paid individuals in the industry, and it’s not hard to see why. They play a critical role in the success of a team, from devising tactics to selecting the team for each match. Given their immense responsibility and contributions to the club, they rightfully deserve their substantial paycheque.
Let’s unveil the top10 highest-paid football managers in the world in 2024-
10. Xavi | €3.8m
Club: Barcelona
League: La Liga (Spain)
Xavier Hernández Creus, known as Xavi, is a retired Spanish football player and current football manager. Xavi is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in history, thanks to his exceptional passing, vision, ball retention, and positioning on the field. After retiring from professional football, he moved into coaching, taking up the managerial position at Al Sadd in Qatar in May 2019. During his tenure, he achieved remarkable success, winning seven titles in just under three years.
In November 2021, Xavi was appointed as the new manager of Barcelona, where he previously spent most of his playing career, and he has already made an impressive start to his managerial career. He is the tenth highest-paid football manager in the world in 2023.
9. Xabi Alonso | €5m
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
League: Bundesliga (Germany)
Xabier Alonso Olano, born on November 25, 1981, is a former professional football player and current coach from Spain. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, known for his exceptional skills on the field.
As of now, he holds the position of head coach at Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso’s appointment as the head coach of Bayer Leverkusen was announced on October 5, 2022, and he has already begun to make his mark on the team. He is in ninth place on the list of the top 10 highest-paid football managers in the world in 2023.
8. Jose Mourinho | €9m
Club: AS Roma
League: Serie A (Italy)
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, born on January 26, 1963, is a retired Portuguese football player and current professional football manager. He has earned the nickname “The Special One” by the British media and is regarded as one of the most successful and decorated managers in football history. Mourinho is currently serving as the head coach of the Italian Serie A club Roma.
He took over the reins from fellow countryman Paulo Fonseca, starting from the 2021-2022 season, after his appointment on May 4, 2021. Mourinho has already made a strong impact on Roma and is working towards guiding them to further success. He is the eighth highest-paid football manager in the world in 2023.
7. Simone Inzaghi | €10m
Club: Inter Milan
League: Serie A (Italy)
Simone Inzaghi is a retired Italian professional football player and current football manager, born on April 5, 1976. He is currently the head coach of Serie A club Inter Milan. After retiring from playing, Inzaghi began his managerial career in Lazio’s youth teams. He was then appointed as the senior side’s manager in 2016, where he led them to win the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana twice.
Inzaghi is renowned for his tactical acumen and is credited for revitalizing the 3-5-2 formation, a system that several Italian coaches have since adopted. In 2021, he was named the manager of Inter Milan, and he has already made his mark on the team. He is in seventh place on the list of the top 10 highest-paid football managers in the world in 2023.
6. Carlo Ancelotti | €11m
Club: Real Madrid
League: La Liga (Spain)
Carlo Ancelotti, an Italian professional football manager and former player, is currently the manager of La Liga club Real Madrid. He is considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time and has won the UEFA Champions League trophy a record four times, twice with AC Milan and twice with Real Madrid. Ancelotti is also the first and only manager to have managed teams in five Champions League finals. As a player, he won the Champions League twice with AC Milan. He is also the first and only manager to have won league titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues.
Ancelotti is nicknamed “Don Carlo”. He returned to Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, leading the club to win a La Liga–Champions League double. He is currently the sixth highest-paid football manager in the world in 2023.
5. Thomas Tuchel | €12m
Club: Bayern Munich
League: Bundesliga (England)
Thomas Tuchel is a former German footballer turned professional football manager who is currently serving as the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Despite retiring as a player at the young age of 25 due to a chronic knee cartilage injury, Tuchel found success in his coaching career. He was appointed as the manager of Paris Saint-Germain in 2018 and led the team to two league titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and to the club’s first-ever UEFA Champions League final.
In 2021, Tuchel was hired by Chelsea where he won the Champions League in his debut season and was honoured with The Best FIFA Football Coach award. However, he was dismissed as the manager in 2022. In 2023, he was appointed as the head coach of the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. He became the fifth highest-paid football manager in the world in 2023.
4. Massimiliano Allegri | €12.8m
Club: Juventus
League: Serie A (Italy)
Massimiliano Allegri is an Italian football manager and former player, currently serving as the manager of Juventus in Serie A. He previously managed Juventus from 2014 to 2019, winning a total of eleven trophies including five consecutive league titles, four Coppa Italia titles in a row, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. Under his leadership, Juventus also reached two UEFA Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017. After taking a break from management, Allegri returned to Juventus in 2021 to continue his tenure as manager. He currently is in fourth place in the list of the top 10 highest-paid football managers in the world in 2023.
3. Jurgen Klopp | €18m
Club: Liverpool
League: Premier League (England)
Jürgen Klopp, a former professional football player and current manager of Liverpool, is widely recognized as one of the top managers in the world. He took over as Liverpool’s manager in 2015 and has since led the club to two UEFA Champions League finals, winning the trophy in 2019 for Liverpool’s sixth championship in the competition. He is the third highest-paid football manager in the world in 2023.
Klopp is known for his implementation of the Gegenpressing style, where his team immediately attempts to win back possession after losing the ball. He calls his team’s style of play “heavy metal” football, characterized by high-intensity pressing and attacking. Klopp cites Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi and former Mainz coach Wolfgang Frank as his primary influences, and he places significant emphasis on the emotional aspect of the game, evident in the enthusiastic touchline celebrations that have gained him both admiration and notoriety.
2. Pep Guardiola | €22m
Club: Manchester City
League: Premier League (England)
Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala, born on January 18, 1971, is a former Spanish professional football player and a current football manager. He is currently the manager of the Premier League club Manchester City. He is second in the list of the top 10 highest-paid football managers in the world in 2023
Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time and holds the record for the most consecutive league games won in La Liga, the Bundesliga, and the Premier League.
1. Diego Simeone | €34m
Club: Atletico Madrid
League: La Liga (Spain)
Diego Pablo Simeone González, known by his nickname “El Cholo”, is an Argentine former professional football player and current manager of Atlético Madrid. He is the highest-paid football manager in the world in 2023.
He took over as manager of Atletico Madrid in December 2011 and has had significant success with the team, winning La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey, two UEFA Europa Leagues, and two UEFA Super Cups, as well as being a runner-up in the UEFA Champions League twice. Simeone is the longest-serving manager in La Liga, having remained at Atlético for over a decade.
Do check out:
- Top 10 highest paid managers in the Premier League as of 2023
- Top 5 highest paid managers in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
FAQs
Which is the Highest-Paid Football Manager in the World in 2024?
Diego Simeone | €34m
