10 best managers in the world 2023/24: Two grey-haired bosses crowned in Europe, stunning unbeaten record

While tactical geniuses like Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Simone Inzaghi, and Luis Enrique secured domestic titles with their respective giants, the best managers in football 2023 rankings by Nowgoalmobi acknowledge fierce competition. 

Beyond the familiar dominance, Xabi Alonso’s historic Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen, ending Bayern Munich’s decade-long reign, adds vibrant new colors to the list. Alongside Alonso, several powerful surges across Europe’s top five leagues make this Nowgoalmobi analysis of the best manager in football 2023 an essential read for every football enthusiast.

Ranking of the best manager in football 2023/24

10. Michel (Girona)

The tenth spot belongs to Michel, the architect behind Girona’s fairy-tale season. Since joining the club in 2021, Michel has transformed the modest side into a European powerhouse. In the 2023/24 campaign, he guided Girona to a historic third-place finish in La Liga with 81 points, securing their first-ever Champions League qualification. 

Across 42 matches in all competitions, Michel achieved 25 wins, boasting a win rate of approximately 60%. His ability to outrank Atletico Madrid while playing an expansive, attacking style has cemented his reputation as one of the most innovative coaches in Spain.

9. Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)

Simone Inzaghi finally silenced his critics by leading Inter Milan to their 20th Scudetto. Inter dominated Serie A, finishing with 94 points, a staggering 19 points ahead of rivals AC Milan. Inzaghi, who took charge in 2021, has now amassed 6 trophies with the Nerazzurri, including 3 Supercoppa Italiana titles and2 Coppa Italia trophies. 

In the 2023/24 season, he managed 49 games, winning 35 of them for an impressive 71% win rate. His tactical flexibility also saw Inter reach the Champions League final in the previous year, proving his pedigree on the grandest stages.

8. Ruben Amorim (Sporting Lisbon) 

Ruben Amorim takes the eighth position after securing his second Primeira Liga title with Sporting Lisbon in just 3 years. Sporting finished the season with 90 points, 10 clear of Benfica. Since his arrival in 2020, Amorim has broken the Porto-Benfica duopoly, winning 5 domestic trophies. In 2023/24, he led the team in 53 matches, securing 40 victories. Throughout his career, which includes a successful stint at Braga, Amorim has been lauded for his 3-4-3 system, leading to numerous links with major Premier League vacancies.

7. Thiago Motta (Bologna) 

Seventh place is held by Thiago Motta, who orchestrated a tactical revolution at Bologna. He led the club to a remarkable fifth-place finish in Serie A with 68 points, ending a 60-year absence from Europe’s premier competition. Motta, who joined Bologna in late 2022, managed 42 games this season, maintaining a rock-solid defense that conceded only 32 goals. His "2-7-2" philosophy and possession-based risk-taking earned him the job at Juventus following this campaign, marking a meteoric rise for the former midfielder.

6. Christian Ilzer (Sturm Graz)

In sixth, Christian Ilzer achieved the "impossible" by ending Red Bull Salzburg's 10-year stranglehold on the Austrian Bundesliga. His Sturm Graz side won the league and cup double, finishing the season with a dramatic final-day victory. Ilzer, who has been with Sturm Graz since 2020, managed 48 games this season. By securing the club’s first title in 13 years, Ilzer has become a national hero in Austria, proving that strategic coaching can overcome significant financial disparities.

5. Sebastian Hoeness (VfB Stuttgart) 

Just 12 months after surviving a relegation play-off, Hoeness led Stuttgart to second place in the Bundesliga with 73 points, finishing above Bayern Munich. Since taking over in April 2023, he has transformed the squad into a high-pressing machine. In the 2023/24 season, he managed 38 games, winning 26. This achievement earned Stuttgart their first Champions League berth in 15 years and established Hoeness as one of Germany’s brightest coaching exports.

4. Eric Roy (Brest) 

Fourth place goes to Eric Roy, the winner of the Ligue 1 Manager of the Year award. Despite having one of the smallest budgets in France, Roy guided Brest to a shocking third-place finish with 61 points. Having been out of management for a decade before joining Brest in January 2023, Roy’s direct style proved highly effective. This result represents the greatest achievement in the club's history, as they had never previously qualified for any European competition.

3. Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) 

Gian Piero Gasperini occupies third place after a crowning achievement with Atalanta. He led the "Goddess" to their first major trophy in 61 years by winning the UEFA Europa League, defeating the previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the final. In Serie A, Atalanta secured a top-four finish. Gasperini has been at the helm since 2016, and this season he managed over 50 games, maintaining a win rate of 58%. His career-long commitment to an aggressive man-marking system finally yielded the silverware his tactical brilliance deserved.

2. Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) 

The Real Madrid boss enjoyed what he described as his best league campaign, winning La Liga with 95 points and only 1 defeat. Ancelotti also secured his fifth Champions League title as a manager after defeating Borussia Dortmund in the final. With a win rate of 76% in the 2023/24 season, Ancelotti continues to break records, becoming the only manager to win titles in all 5 major European leagues. 

1. Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) 

In his first full season as a top-flight manager, Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double. Leverkusen won the Bundesliga with 90 points, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year reign, and added the DFB-Pokal. Alonso managed 53 games, winning 43, losing only once in the Europa League final.

This 81% win rate and a record-breaking 51-game unbeaten streak in all competitions make him the undisputed top choice for the year.

Top 10 managers of the 2023/24 season:

Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen)

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)

Eric Roy (Brest)

Sebastian Hoeness (Stuttgart)

Christian Ilzer (Sturm Graz)

Thiago Motta (Bologna)

Ruben Amorim (Sporting Lisbon)

Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)

Michel (Girona)

Nowgoalmobi has just ranked the most outstanding coaches of the 2023/24 season, highlighting a shift toward new tactical perspectives. As we evaluate the best manager in football 2023, do you agree with our selection and the rise of the underdogs?

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