Ranking best Italian managers in football history

Italy has been one of the powerhouses in football over the years, both in terms of their national side and their football culture. They have won four FIFA World Cup trophies and two Euros. They have achieved great success and continue to do so, having won the Euros as recent as 2021.

The Italian football culture is also excellent seeing the popularity of Serie A and the dominance of Italian teams over the years. AC Milan are the club with the second-most UEFA Champions League trophies with 7 (8 behind Real Madrid).

Italian teams are known for their defensive solidity and a tactical approach which is coupled with directness. They have produced some excellent players over the years and Italian managers have done incredibly well in world football as well. These managers have been in charge of some of the biggest clubs in the world, winning numerous trophies and breaking records.

Also Read: Top 10 best English football managers in history

So, let’s take a look at the 10 best Italian managers of all time:

10. Luciano Spalletti

Luciano Spalletti has managed a host of Italian clubs like Empoli, Udinese, AS Roma, and Napoli. He first achieved silverware with Roma, winning the Copa Italia two years in a row in 2007 and 2008 and also the Supercoppa Italiana in 2007.

He also won multiple trophies with Russia side Zenit Saint Petersburg before returning to Italy. He then won the Serie A with Napoli in the 2022-23 season. He is the current manager of the Italy national side.

9. Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini is one of the most illustrious Italian managers of all time, having won trophies with multiple clubs in Italy and abroad. He won cup competitions with Fiorentina and Lazio before winning three Serie A titles with Inter Milan along with the domestic cups.

He then joined Manchester City and won the memorable Premier League title in the 2011-12 season, among other trophies. He also won the Euro 2020 with Italy.

8. Antonio Conte

Another highly illustrious Italian manager, Antonio Conte, has won trophies at almost every club he’s managed so far. Known for his pragmatic style, Conte won three Serie A titles with Juventus and one with Inter Milan, among numerous other honors.

He also managed Chelsea and won the Premier League in 2017 and the FA Cup the following year. Conte was appointed as the manager of Napoli in the summer of 2024.

Also Read: Top 10 Greatest Italians in Premier League History

7. Vittorio Pozzo

While he didn’t win any trophy at the club level with Torino and AC Milan, Vittorio Pozzo’s contribution to Italian football is unparalleled. He had four stints with the Italian national team, with the final one lasting an incredible 19 years.

Pozzo is regarded with building the defensive solidity and tactical nous that we still witness in Italian football. He also won two consecutive FIFA World Cups – 1934 and 1938.

6. Massimiliano Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri, also known as Max Allegri, is the only manager to have the Serie A title five years in a row. He did it between 2015 and 2019 with Juventus, winning numerous other domestic trophies along the way. He also won one Serie A title and one Supercoppa Italiana with AC Milan.

Juventus sacked Allegri in the summer of 2024 after he had a row with a journalist following his sending-off in a 1-0 win over Atalanta. He was also alleged to have threatened the referee who sent him off.

5. Marcello Lippi

Marcello Lippi managed numerous Italian clubs are various levels like Sampdoria youth, Atalanta, Inter Milan, and more. However, he found most success at Juventus, winning five Serie A titles, and one UEFA Champions League trophy, among other honors.

Lippi also led Italy to their last FIFA World Cup trophy in 2006, where they beat France in the final, which became infamous for Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi. Lippi, meanwhile, also managed Guangzhou Evergrande in China, winning multiple trophies.

4. Fabio Capello

Capello is widely credited for popularizing the zonal marking system that we see in modern football. He was also the manager who brought in and oversaw the growth of legendary defenders like Paolo Maldini.

Capello won five Serie A titles with Milan and AS Roma. He also managed Real Madrid, winning two La Liga titles and he also won the Champions League with Milan. He also managed the England national team.

3. Arrigo Sacchi

Arrigo Sacchi brought a big change to Italian football during his stint with AC Milan. He brought in a more expansive and attacking football, which saw him win two European Cups and one Serie A, among numerous other titles.

Sacchi also led Italy to the 1994 FIFA World Cup final but they lost to Brazil on penalties. He is regarded to have influenced numerous players and managers, including Carlo Ancelotti.

2. Giovanni Trapattoni

Giovanni Trapattoni managed numerous teams across the globe like Juventus, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, VfB Stuttgart, Republic of Ireland, and more. He is the manager with most Serie A trophies, having won 7. He won six of them with Juventus and one with Inter Milan.

Along with his illustrious club career, Trapattoni also led the Republic of Ireland to the Nations Cup win in 2011.

1. Carlo Ancelotti

Not only he is the best Italian manager of all time, Carlo Ancelotti is also among the names for one of the greatest managers in football history. He is the only manager to have won the league title at least once in all of Europe’s top five leagues. He is also the only manager to have won the UEFA Champions League five times.

Ancelotti has managed the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and PSG during his career. He is the current manager of Real Madrid and continues his excellence. He’s won around 17 trophies so far but looks set to add more.

FAQs

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