The 20 Best Soccer Managers Currently Out of Work—Ranked
Being a manager is a brutal business.
When results are flowing and confidence is high, there’s no better job in the world. But the moment performances dip, the mood turns fast—and it’s almost always the manager who pays the price.
Even the game’s elite aren’t immune. Tactical stagnation, public fallouts, boardroom politics or plain bad luck have left a number of top-level coaches currently without a job. And contrary to popular belief, climbing back onto the managerial ladder isn’t always easy.
Here’s some of the top managers currently walking the unemployment line.
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20. Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso’s managerial career has been far from smooth, but he has already taken charge of some of the biggest clubs in world soccer—AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia, Marseille and most recently the Italy national team.
Safe to say it’s been a mixed bag.
While he has fared reasonably well on home soil at times, things have often ended the same way, with his spells ending in dismissal for not quite meeting expectations. His stints abroad, meanwhile, have been far less successful—mostly short-lived and underwhelming.
Taking him on will be a gamble for any club, but for a side looking for a fiery personality who can bring intensity, passion, and bite to the dressing room, he remains a compelling option.
19. Jorge Sampaoli
Jorge Sampaoli is something of a journeyman manager, having worked across the globe with clubs ranging from Santos and Sevilla to Rennes and Argentino de Rosario—often with mixed results, rarely delivering sustained success but also seldom completely falling flat.
His 2015 Copa América triumph remains the standout achievement of his career, and serves as clear proof that he is capable of overachieving with the right group of players.
18. Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre has been a hit-and-miss presence on the touchline throughout his career. He achieved impressive success with Borussia Mönchengladbach and during his first spell at Nice, but struggled to meet expectations after moving to Borussia Dortmund.
A return to Nice proved short-lived and unsuccessful, lasting just half a season, and Favre has been out of work since January 2023. Even so, his tactical intelligence and experience mean he still has plenty to offer the right club.
17. Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta seems drawn to taking on projects where the odds are stacked against him. His managerial debut at Genoa was brief and difficult, ending in dismissal after just 10 games. He found his footing at Spezia, though, keeping the club in Serie A despite a looming transfer ban and widespread expectations of relegation.
Motta’s next challenge came at Bologna, where he again overachieved. He led them to a solid ninth-place finish before orchestrating a remarkable campaign that secured Champions League soccer—Bologna’s first taste of Europe’s top tier since 1965.
Rather than test himself in Europe with Bologna, Motta returned to Juventus, his former club, for a 42-match stint that proved disastrous, producing the lowest win percentage for the Old Lady in well over a decade.
Wherever he lands next, it’s likely to be a smaller club where expectations are manageable, rather than a heavyweight with little room for error.
16. Will Still
Not long ago, Will Still was hailed as one of European soccer’s brightest young managerial talents. At just 30, he was the youngest boss in Europe’s top five leagues when he took over at Reims, where he began with a 14-game unbeaten run across all competitions, impressing the media with his fluent French and tactical acumen.
Since then, however, things have taken a sharp downturn. In May 2024, shortly before the end of the 2023–24 Ligue 1 season, Still left Reims by mutual consent. His team sat 11th, having won only two of their last 14 games. A forgettable season at Lens followed, and most recently he endured a 16-game stint at Southampton, claiming just four victories before being dismissed.
The pace of his decline has been startling, and while he remains young and talented, it’s hard to imagine him attracting many suitors moving forward.
15. Roger Schmidt
The vastly experienced German coach is back on the market after being dismissed by Benfica at the start of the 2024–25 season.
Roger Schmidt’s teams are typically thrilling to watch, and his Benfica side were often unmissable—particularly during their title-winning 2022–23 campaign.
While Schmidt has since taken up a role as the J.League’s Global Football Advisor, a return to management should not be ruled out if the right opportunity arises.
14. Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc was a serial winner as a player and has carried that pedigree into management.
He’s lifted Ligue 1 titles and multiple other honours in France with Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain, and most recently guided Al-Ittihad to the Saudi Pro League crown in 2024–25—only to be controversially dismissed after just one defeat in the following season.
Sadly, Blanc is often remembered for his ill-fated stint with the French national team, stepping down after Euro 2012 quarterfinal elimination amid rumours of dressing-room unrest. Aside from a few short and less-successful spells at Al-Rayyan and Lyon, however, his managerial record has been mightily impressive.
13. Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there are a few things you can guarantee from the Englishman: his teams will be pragmatic, difficult to break down and will always give everything—even if they aren’t the prettiest to watch.
Without being harsh, it’s unlikely any top sides looking to play expansive soccer will come calling, but for a team—most likely in the Premier League—looking to be organized, resilient and grind out results to avoid relegation, he is always a strong option.
12. Bruno Lage
Premier League fans will remember Bruno Lage for his largely underwhelming spell at Wolves, while those in Brazil will know him for a brief stint at Botafogo that lasted just 15 games.
However, those periods have been blips in an otherwise strong managerial career spent entirely at Benfica. Across two spells at the club, he recorded a win rate of around 68%, winning both the Primeira Liga and the Taça da Liga.
Although he was eventually dismissed in his second spell, Lage has built a reputation for strong man-management and developing young talent, helping to nurture players such as João Félix, António Silva and Álvaro Carreras.
Given time—and perhaps with less pressure to deliver immediate titles than at Benfica—he could prove to be a smart appointment.
11. Dino Toppmöller
Dino Toppmöller’s win percentage of 42.62 during his two-and-a-half years at Eintracht Frankfurt might not look particularly impressive on paper, but there is a significant caveat—he was constantly having to rebuild his squad.
Upon arriving in 2023, he immediately lost star striker Randal Kolo Muani to Paris Saint-Germain, whom he replaced with Omar Marmoush and later Hugo Ekitike. Both were eventually sold on to Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, while defender Willian Pacho—signed from Royal Antwerp—was also moved on to PSG.
Finishing sixth and then third in the Bundesliga across his two full seasons while managing such constant turnover in key personnel is no small achievement, and it raises the question of what he could accomplish in a more stable environment where he isn’t repeatedly forced to rebuild.
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10. Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou’s latest managerial stint at Nottingham Forest was nothing short of catastrophic. Sacked in October 2025 after just 39 days, he became the shortest-reigning manager in the club’s history, leaving with zero wins from eight games.
In his defence, though, the Australian has a proven track record of success. He’s lifted trophies with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar in his homeland, won silverware in Japan with Yokohama Marinos, conquered Scotland with Celtic and even guided Tottenham Hotspur to Europa League glory despite finishing 17th in the Premier League.
His relentless, high-octane style may not always endear him to fans—or players who often look exhausted—but as he famously says, he tends to win trophies in his second season ... if he makes it that far.
It’s just who he is, mate.
9. Thomas Frank
It may not have worked well at Tottenham but Frank wouldn’t be the first to give in to the vortex of Spursiness.
Previously linked with both Manchester United and Chelsea, the once respected former Brentford coach could be a canny hire when the dust has settled.
8. Joachim Low
Joachim Löw spent 15 years in charge of the German national team, overseeing one of the most successful periods in the country’s history.
His reign peaked with World Cup glory in 2014, having already guided Germany to the Euro 2008 final six years earlier.
What remains unclear is whether that success would translate back to club soccer. Löw has been out of work since stepping down in 2021 and has not managed a club side since 2004, leaving a significant question mark over his next move.
7. Xavi Hernandez
Xavi was not quite the idealist many expected, but his pragmatic streak delivered tangible success, most notably Barcelona’s 2022–23 La Liga title.
Initially seen as the figure to guide the club into a new era amid mounting off-field issues, the former midfielder was ultimately swallowed by Barça’s infamous entorno. His final season in charge was turbulent and disjointed, raising questions about his long-term suitability at the very top level.
A good manager, without doubt. Whether he can truly be an elite one remains open to debate.
6. Sir Gareth Southgate
Sir Gareth Southgate restored a long-absent feel-good factor to the England national team, initially uniting players and supporters alike. The former Middlesbrough boss stepped down after Euro 2024 as one of England’s most successful managers by results alone.
It was not all positivity, however. Defeats in two European Championship finals proved difficult to stomach, while Southgate was frequently criticised by sections of the English media and fanbase for his cautious tactical approach.
After eight years in the Wembley dugout, it will be fascinating to see whether Southgate chooses to return to management at all—and, if so, where he resurfaces.
5. Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag showed an unusually thick skin during his time at Manchester United, with relentless criticism at Old Trafford rarely appearing to dent his self-belief.
That resilience eventually ran out. Despite lifting the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, Ten Hag was dismissed early in the 2024–25 season after failing to sustain momentum. A fresh start followed at Bayer Leverkusen in May 2025 but it proved brutally short-lived, with the Dutchman sacked in September after just three competitive matches, setting an unwanted record in German soccer.
He is set to take up the role of technical director at Eredivisie club Twente ahead of the 2026–27 season.
4. Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim was earmarked as the latest potential saviour of Manchester United, following the conclusion of Erik ten Hag’s reign. However, the Portuguese’s tenure made his predecessor’s look like a rip-roaring success.
Wedded to the 3-4-2-1 that helped Sporting CP dominate domestically, it was this infatuation that ultimately led to his demise in Manchester. Despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s assertion that Amorim would get three years to prove his worth at Old Trafford, INEOS pulled the plug at the start of 2026, having failed to show discernible progress during his first full season in charge.
The Portuguese departed with the worst Premier League record among all Man Utd managers, and he’ll likely stay away from English shores for perhaps the remainder of his managerial career.
He’s another gifted coach swallowed up by the poisoned chalice that is the Theatre of Dreams, although many will question whether his ideals will ever facilitate sustained success at the highest level.
3. Filipe Luís
Filipe Luís’s résumé is impressive. In the space of just 101 games the former Chelsea and Atlético Madrid left back lifted seven trophies, leading Flamengo to the Brazilian top-flight title and Copa Libertadores glory. Barely two months after signing a lucrative new two-year contract, however, he sacked. Go figure.
Rumors of a rift in the dressing room ultimately proved to be Luís’s undoing, but the entertaining style of play which he instilled in Rio de Janeiro will surely be an attractive incentive for any club in need of a young, exciting coach.
2. Jurgen Klopp
Jürgen Klopp has publicly stated that he has no intention of taking another managerial role—but the fact he ended a year-long sabbatical to join the Red Bull group as Head of Global Soccer suggests he’s got an itch that needs scratching.
The German’s status as one of the world’s elite coaches is undisputable. First, Klopp ended Bayern Munich’s domination of the Bundesliga to win two titles in a row with Borussia Dortmund, before a legendary tenure at Liverpool yielded the club’s first-ever Premier League crown—ending a 30-year top flight drought in the process—and a sixth Champions League triumph.
In addition to other cup successes, Klopp popularised high-intensity pressing and transformed the careers of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Virgil van Dijk to name just three, helping transition them and many others into global superstars. The fact his name will always come up in conversation whenever a big job is available tells you everything you need to know.
1. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has been out of work for some time, though it remains unclear whether he is actively seeking a return. There is little doubt that clubs and national teams have sounded him out, yet he has not stepped back into the dugout since leaving Real Madrid.
Zidane departed the Bernabéu for the second and final time in 2021, having returned in 2019 after his initial exit a year earlier. His time in Madrid was laden with silverware, but debate has always followed him over how much of that success stemmed from his managerial acumen versus the star-studded squad at his disposal.
Widely believed to be holding out for the France job, Zidane’s next move, if it comes at all, will be one of the most intriguing managerial stories in the game.
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