Who Are the Best Football Managers?

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28 Apr 2024

Pep Guardiola (left), Carlo Ancelotti (center), and Jürgen Klopp (right) are some of the best managers in world football.

Who Are the Best Football Managers?

Managing a football team requires a diverse array of talents and a substantial knowledge of the game. Football managers should be able to work individually with players to motivate and discipline them. Their instructions need to be communicated clearly and effectively, and they must anticipate the physical and psychological condition of their players.

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Of special importance is a manager's ability to tactically organize their team and to make intelligent substitutions and tactical changes during matches. Off the field, they need to improve and develop the players they have, and bring in new players who can add to the team.
As a prerequisite, managers need to earn the respect of their players by leading them competently. Many talented tacticians fail because they don't have the authority to lead. It takes a special kind of individual to be both an artist and a drill sergeant. The managers on this list epitomize this character and have translated their knowledge and talent into remarkable success in the football world.

10. Manuel Pellegrini

Full name: Manuel Lúis Pellegrini Ripamonti
Nationality: Chile
Date of birth: September 16, 1953

Manuel Pellegrini achieved notoriety when he was sacked by Real Madrid in 2010 to make way for José Mourinho. He had amassed 96 points in the league that season. However, Pellegrini's greatest achievements came at Villarreal and Malaga. He guided Villarreal to 3rd in La Liga in 2005, and he took them to the Champions League semi-final the next season. He then led Villarreal to 2nd in La Liga in 2008, displacing Barcelona from the top two.

After the Real Madrid debacle, Pellegrini took over at Malaga and guided them to 4th in the league in his first season. In 2013, he took them to the quarter-final of the Champions League before being appointed Manchester City manager. At City, he won the Premier League and two domestic cups.
After leaving City in 2016, Pellegrini had a brief stint in China and a disappointing year with West Ham before returning to where he does his best work (Spain). Pellegrini took over at Real Betis in 2020 and delivered their first trophy in 17 years: the 2022 Copa del Rey (domestic cup).

9. Mircea Lucescu

Full name: Mircea Lucescu
Nationality: Romania
Date of birth: July 29, 1945

Mircea Lucescu speaks seven languages and managed Shakhtar Donetsk from 2004 to 2016, guiding the Ukrainian team to every domestic trophy and the 2009 Europa League. Under his tenure, Shakhtar became a formidable force in European football, reaching the quarter-final of the Champions League in 2011.
Lucescu has won 13 league titles and 10 domestic cups during his time in Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. In 2016, he left Shakhtar to manage the Russian club, Zenit St. Petersburg. He went on to manage the Turkish national side, and he was appointed Dynamo Kyiv manager in 2020.

8. Luciano Spalletti

Full name: Luciano Spalletti
Nationality: Italy
Date of birth: March 7, 1959

It has been a long road to the top for Luciano Spalletti, who most recently managed high-flying Napoli. He began his managerial career in 1993 with Empoli in the Italian third tier. In five years, he guided them to the top-flight (Serie A). Spalletti then took the perennially mid-table club, Udinese, to 4th place and a Champions League spot.
Spalletti was recruited by Roma in 2005 where he became an early proponent of the 4-2-3-1 formation, and introduced the "false-9" (later used by Pep Guardiola), which he used to improve their form and win the Coppa Italia (domestic cup) twice. He then won two league titles and a domestic cup in Russia with Zenit St. Petersburg.

Spalletti returned to Roma in 2016 and took them from mid-table to 2nd place. He was then recruited by Inter Milan and led them back into the Champions League after a six year absence. Most recently, Spalletti took charge of Napoli and, in 2023, delivered their first league title in 33 years (with five games to spare), playing an attacking brand of football that has been praised around Europe.

7. Louis Van Gaal

Full name: Aloysius Paulus Maria Van Gaal
Nationality: Netherlands
Date of birth: August 8, 1951

Known for his direct style of football, Louis Van Gaal is also a strict disciplinarian. Described as proud and arrogant, he uses a fusion of artistry and authority that has brought him astounding success as a manager. With Ajax, he won the 1995 Champions League, the 1992 UEFA Cup, three league titles, and one domestic cup. At Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he added three more league titles and one domestic cup.

Incredibly, he also led AZ to the Dutch league title in 2009. Van Gaal then guided a much belittled Dutch side to third place in the 2014 World Cup before taking over as Manchester United manager. His disappointing spell at United nevertheless included an FA Cup win in 2016.
After a short "retirement," Van Gaal took charge of the Netherlands again in 2021. At the 2022 World Cup, they were defeated by the eventual champions, Argentina, in the quarter-final. He would resign as head coach after the tournament.

6. Antonio Conte

Full name: Antonio Conte
Nationality: Italy
Date of birth: July 31, 1969

Antonio Conte is a former Italian footballer who spent most of his career at Juventus and represented his country 20 times. His work-rate as a player mirrors the effort he now expects from the players he manages. Conte plays with wing-backs in a 5-3-2 formation and picks players who are versatile enough to suit his system.
During the 2011–12 season, he led Juventus to the Serie A title without losing a single game. Conte stayed at Juventus for three seasons (winning Serie A in each) before managing Italy's Euro 2016 campaign. His team knocked Spain out of the tournament but narrowly lost to Germany on penalties.

Conte joined Chelsea in 2016 and won the Premier League in his first season, claiming a (then) record 30 league victories. He went on to win the 2018 FA Cup before taking over at Inter Milan in 2019. At Inter, Conte won the 2021 Serie A title, ending the fortunes of a Ronaldo-led Juventus, who had won the competition nine times in a row. A two-year spell at Tottenham followed, which ended in 2023 after Conte expressed his frustration with the players and the running of the club.

Antonio Conte's Epic Rant About Tottenham

5. José Mourinho

Full name: José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix
Nationality: Portugal
Date of birth: January 26, 1963

Portuguese coach José Mourinho is known for his well-organized defenses and the physical strength of his teams. He was a teacher of physical education before earning invaluable coaching experience under legends Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal.
Mourinho has a significant trophy haul, winning eight league titles and four domestic cups with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, and Real Madrid. He also won the 2003 UEFA Cup and the 2004 Champions League with Porto, the 2010 Champions League with Inter, and the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United.

After a mixed second spell at Chelsea, Mourinho became Manchester United manager in 2016 and won the 2017 Europa League. However, he was sacked in 2018 for poor league form. Mourinho took over at Tottenham in 2019 but, after similarly poor league form, he returned to Italy in 2021 to manage Roma. In 2022, he won the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma.

4. Diego Simeone

Full name: Diego Pablo Simeone González
Nationality: Argentina
Date of birth: April 28, 1970

Diego Simeone is perhaps the most sought-after rising star in the football management world. Before becoming notorious as manager of Atletico Madrid, he won two league titles in his native Argentina. On his arrival in Spain, he galvanized an underachieving Atletico side and took them to fifth in the league. He also guided them to victory in the 2012 Europa League.

In his first full season as manager, his team thrashed Chelsea in the European Super Cup before winning the 2013 Spanish domestic cup. Next came Simeone's greatest achievement as Atletico Madrid manager: winning the 2014 Spanish league title by finishing ahead of both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Simeone's ongoing European success has only been limited by narrow defeats to Real Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals. However, his Atletico team won both the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup in 2018. Simeone replicated his greatest triumph by winning the Spanish league again in 2021.

3. Jürgen Klopp

Full name: Jürgen Norbert Klopp
Nationality: Germany
Date of birth: 16 June 1967

Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, transformed the fortunes of Borussia Dortmund early in his career, bringing them league titles in 2011 and 2012, and the German Cup in 2012. Klopp's reign ended the undisputed dominance of Bayern Munich and re-established Dortmund as a major force in European football. Klopp's quick style of counter-attacking football saw Dortmund go on a 28-match unbeaten streak in 2012 and reach the Champions League final in 2013.

After taking over at Liverpool, Klopp took the club to three cup finals, including the 2018 Champions League, but they were defeated in each. Klopp then won the 2019 Champions League final, beginning his trophy haul. He went on to win the UEFA Super Cup, World Club Cup, and the 2020 Premier League, the latter ending Liverpool's 30-year wait for another league triumph. In 2022, his Liverpool side won both of England's domestic cups.

2. Pep Guardiola

Full name: Josep Guardiola Sala
Nationality: Spain
Date of birth: January 18, 1971

After a distinguished career as a defensive midfielder for Barcelona, Josep Guardiola was elevated to manager of the club's B team in 2007. One year later, he was made first team boss. After making drastic and risky changes to their footballing strategy, the club won the treble in his first season. Pep went on to win three La Liga titles, two domestic cups, three Super cups, two Champions Leagues, two European super cups, and two World club cups (14 trophies in four seasons).

Guardiola became Bayern Munich manager in 2013. He won the domestic double in his first season, and again in 2016, but he never reached a Champions League final in his three years at the club. In all, he claimed a further seven trophies with Bayern.
In 2016, Guardiola took over at big-spending Manchester City. After a season without a trophy, they won the league in emphatic fashion, recording the most points, wins, and goals of any team in Premier League history. In the following season, he became the first manager to win the domestic treble.

City have dominated English football under Guardiola, winning five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and two Super Cups (Community Shield). In 2023, Pep finally won the Champions League for the third time in his career, defeating Inter Milan in the final. In general, Guardiola's teams are known for keeping possession, pressing relentlessly, and their sublime creativity.

1. Carlo Ancelotti

Full name: Carlo Ancelotti
Nationality: Italy
Date of birth: June 10, 1959

Carlo Ancelotti honed his talents as an assistant to the legendary Italian manager Arrigo Sacchi. This launched a career filled with trophy successes. When Ancelotti won the 2014 Champions League with Real Madrid, he became the only currently active manager to have won the tournament three times. In 2022, he won it a fourth time (again with Real Madrid). Previously, he had won it twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007.

Ancelotti's illustrious career includes league triumphs in Italy, England, France, Germany, and Spain, with Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid respectively, making him the only manager to have won all of Europe's top five leagues. He has also claimed domestic cups with Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid. Ancelotti surprisingly took over at English club, Everton, in 2020 and improved their form, but he soon returned to Real Madrid where he won the league and Champions League in his first season back.

Ancelotti's management style is one of versatility and adaptability. He plays formations that suit the attributes of his players. With 26 trophies to his name, he is one of the most decorated managers on this list.

Why Is Guardiola Not Ranked Number One?

Some readers may be convinced that Pep Guardiola is the greatest coach in the world. However, Pep needs to either establish a greater European legacy or prove himself at lesser clubs. He did not reach a Champions League final in three years at Bayern Munich, despite Bayern being the best club at the time.

After a 12-year wait, Pep finally won his third Champions League in 2023. In that period, he has fallen behind Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the competition four times.

Honorable Mentions

Managers who have been retired for some time are removed from this list, which is why it does not feature Alex Ferguson (previous #1), Arsène Wenger, Marcello Lippi, and Vicente del Bosque.

However, several talented managers who are still active have also been omitted from this list. Honorable mentions go to:

Mikel Arteta
Xabi Alonso
Simone Inzaghi
Fernando Diniz
Zinedine Zidane
Roberto De Zerbi
Marcelo Bielsa
Thomas Tuchel
Mauricio Pochettino
Ralf Rangnick
Unai Emery
Claudio Ranieri
Rafa Benítez

Traits of Successful Football Managers

Football managers captivate audiences around the world with their touchline antics. They are an unpredictable and sometimes mysterious part of the beautiful game.
Football management requires a unique variety of skills and psychological traits. It is not simply a matter of defensive or attacking philosophy. The best football managers value team unity, hard work, organization, and harsh discipline. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this compilation.

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Comments

Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on October 08, 2020:
Thank you all for your comments. I have given Zinedine Zidane and Marcelo Bielsa honorable mentions. While respected, Bielsa has not won many trophies. The opposite is true of Zidane, who was extremely successful in a short period of time at a huge club, but that is not a great test of his ability. I would need to see how he does over a longer period of time, and perhaps, also, at other/lesser clubs.

I also moved Klopp up to #4, and Wenger down to #9.
Finally, this is a reminder that Sir Alex retired in 2013. He was number 1 when this list first came out. I try to keep it current, otherwise we might as well include great managers from the 70s such as Bob Paisley. Having said that, Van Gaal recently "retired" but I'll believe that if he stays out a bit longer!

Anoop Unnikrishnan on September 10, 2020:
You missed out the best manager- EL loco
Marcelo Bielsa
Rohan on September 03, 2020:
What about Sir Alex Ferguson

ransford on July 31, 2020:
why not zidane
Enrique Mthupha on July 21, 2020:
I think it's time to remove LVG as you stated you trying to keep the list with currently active managers. LVG has retired hehe
danesh on July 04, 2020:

why is not Alex Furgerson in it
Fredy Marcelo on July 02, 2020:
Exactly About The Special One Position
John on July 01, 2020:
Pep 1 and jugen 2, Jurgen klopp is overrated

Samuel Williams on May 16, 2020:
Jose Mourinho is my best manager ever since 1997 till now.
Arsenal forever on May 10, 2020:
Jurgen 1 Pep 2 and no Wenger pls
Yo Mama! on February 06, 2020:

This sucks becuase you don't even put Sir. Alex Fergusonin the top 10 and he won 38 trophies in 26 years with MU.
Isak Eliah on January 14, 2020:
Jurgen Klopp should be nr 1
Farouk samuali on January 13, 2020:

A few problems in this list:
1.Rodgers in top 7
2.No Jose because of lack of manners
3.Zidane top 7 definitely 3 UCL’s in a row
4.Coming from an Arsenal fan Klopp is the no.1

Daniele pavino on December 08, 2019:
Trapattoni??
Iscodisco on November 25, 2019:
Where is Zidane
William on November 23, 2019:
How is klopp only 9th?

Richie on November 15, 2019:
Im sorry but, you need to add "right now" to the title!
You will never know... on November 14, 2019:
Where is Sir Alex Ferguson?!?!???
Rick James on September 06, 2019:

Pep might be the most underrated coach for the last years. When he took Barcelona the team was already kicking butt and takin' names. It felt like they could play with their eyes closed.
Tiki-taka style was originally created by the legendary Cruyff and implemented in the La Masia youth squads, where most of the key players of the 2008 Barca came from.

When he took Bayern, they had won the Champions League and the domestic stuff the year before. And Manchester City... Has only spent 1,2 Billion POUNDS since Khaldoon Al Mubarak took over in 2008. Even your local football team
Saying that Pep Guardiola is the best coach is just... For the lack of a better word... Retarded. Especially when you have guys like Mourinho who've won UEFA and Champions with underdogs like FC Porto where he even signed players that were on the rival's RESERVE squads, like Maniche who at that time was playing for Benfica B.

He's definitely a good coach but people who've been here long enough and can see through the hype have no trouble whatsoever picking at least 10 names that are better than him when it comes down to manage a team.
Wudneh on August 25, 2019:
Pep Should Be #1

Kings on August 11, 2019:
Rubbish list. Pep should be number one
Deeni on July 07, 2019:
Pep should be number 1, while Sir Alex should be number 2. Imagine Arsene Wenger on number 4.
Rubbish!!!

Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on May 14, 2019:
Ferguson has been retired for a long time. If we can have any manager from all of history, then why not Bob Paisley? I try to keep this a list of currently active managers only.
Stewart Potter on May 14, 2019:

How can Alex Ferguson not be on this list & top of it?
elisha on May 01, 2019:
where is sir alex ferguson
julia on April 22, 2019:
what about allegri
bxbdndb on April 06, 2019:

Guardiola is #1 for me. He has been the reason behind Barcelona's success in having HISTORY's best striker,midfielder and defender(Messi,Xavi and Puyol).Also Tiki Taka, possessing the ball very well and humilating Real Madrid
Tele Santana on March 30, 2019:
Guardiola is overrated , he’s a good manager but not great , and far from being number one . He’s spoilt , he’s never coached a lesser team , and for the most part with the absurd endless funds he’s got at his disposal he should be wining the champions league many more times .

joash on December 18, 2018:
I guess sir Alex should be the leading among the named managers he has done a lot to the United's
Active_reflection on November 07, 2018:
Where is Sir Alex Ferguson?
Myalo on October 27, 2018:

Sir Alex Ferguson isn't here
He managed one team and won several titles with Manchester united
If Wenger is here , he should be ahead of him
Emmanuel Madube on October 26, 2018:
Pep Guardiola should definitely be number 1!

Gem Rubiny on April 21, 2018:
Hey, how comes Wenger is in the list, but Alex Ferguson is not even a honorable mention???
Mohammed Mossaad on February 09, 2018:
Pep Guardiola should definitely be number 1!

This season proves that he is much more talented than Mourinho.
Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on December 23, 2017:
By popular demand (and his recent achievements at City) Pep Guardiola is now included in this list. Thank you for your comments everyone!

Thank you especially for your comment David. I've included Rafa Benitez in the honorable mentions.
Manuel Pellegrini has dropped out of the top 10 for now.
nbn on December 20, 2017:
Where is guardiola such a genuines man

hoa on November 29, 2017:
where is pep guardiola ?
David Cartier on September 18, 2017:
Great list, I completely agree with the decision to exclude Guardiola.
Firstly anyone wins the league with Bayern Munich. Secondary do all football pundits and fans have short-term memory loss, a gentle reminder:

At Barcelona Guardiola "took" Rijkaard's formation and tactics. All that he added was the high press which Del Bosque was implementing with the Spanish squad. Another proof for him to be considered highly overrated both Rijkaard and Luis Enrique won Champions league titles either side of Guardiola's reign, showing how any team with Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi at their peaks is unstoppable.

On a separate matter, I would consider the inclusion of Rafa Benetiz. Honours speak for themselves but he has practically overachieved at every club he has been at. He is often overlooked for his pragmatic approach and his anti-social character, but along with Wenger changed the Premier league.
1) When Benitez was appointed at Liverpool he was laughed at because he used to rotate his squad, now every premier league team does it. Benitez argued it ensures his top players were at optimum levels for big games.

2) When questioned about the English game Benitez stated the level of the reserve leagues were shocking. He explained why the National team could not win anything as the gap in competition between first team and reserves was massive. Therefore reserve players and young players would be the most affected, most of those players were English. Since 2005 when he stated this, English football has built up to a high standard of competitive reserve leagues. The results are players becoming later bloomers. The gap for competitiveness has shrunk using this methodology, fringe players are sharper and generally reserve football levels have improved giving more chances to develop younger players. These players are primarily English hence improving the outlook of the future for the National squad.

3) Benitez has won a trophy at every club he has been at. Many major trophies n that list too. Champions League, UEFA Cup and La Liga.
He is the only manager in history to have won the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Benitez is way underrated and Guardiola is way overrated, still a great list.

Desmond on July 20, 2017:
What of Zidane champoins league double historic?
Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on July 19, 2017:
Guardiola has yet to prove himself worthy. Managing the best team in the world, with Lionel Messi at his peak, wasn't difficult. Then moving to the new best team in the world (Bayern, after the great work of Jupp Heynckes), and not even getting them to a Champions League final for 3 years, was less than impressive. In his first season at Man City, he barely got them into the top 4, despite massive resources. He'd need to win the Premier League a couple of times, or reach a CL final, before I'd consider him.

As for Alex Ferguson, he retired long ago. I try to keep the list current.
M.Yalezo on July 17, 2017:
What about Pep guardiola?
lolwut on July 06, 2017:
Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola?

Socrates Tículos on June 06, 2017:
Louis Van Gaal over Guardiola, ok.
Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on May 29, 2017:
Updated to include Antonio Conte. He was effectively 11th for last season, but has to be included now after winning the Premier League in his first year in England. Removed Otto Rehhagel who's been retired a while.

Jake on March 23, 2017:
ROFL Arsene forever 4th.
Amara on February 16, 2017:
I fully agree with the entire ruling based upon the criteria.
Thanks enough
Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on October 02, 2016:

I remove managers from the list who've been retired a long time. Ferguson was originally #1. I removed him a couple of years ago. Just removed Ottmar Hitzfeld too.
James on October 02, 2016:
I'm a gunner through and through. But where the hell is Ferguson

Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on August 20, 2016:
Thanks for the recent comments guys. I've wanted to put Diego Simeone in this list for some time. Now I've finally updated it, Simeone is at #5.
I removed Ottmar Hitzfeld who retired a couple of years ago and doesn't look like coming back. I moved Mourinho to #2 after his disappointing season at Chelsea and put Ancelotti at #1. Ancelotti has been consistently better imo, and has 3 CL wins. Claudio Ranieni has an honorable mention now. Him and Conte are close to being in this list.

Alex Ferguson is long retired, which is why he isn't on here.
Guardiola needs to prove himself at a lesser club. I'm glad you agree with me `Lilbudi'. He took charge at Barca just as Messi was reaching his peak. They were the best team in the world. Then, just as Jupp Heynkes makes a better Bayern side, and wins the CL, look who takes over: Guardiola! Yet, in 3 years, he couldn't even get them to a CL final. If it had gone on any longer, more people would have started questioning him. He's always had the best players to work with, but his time at Bayern was a failure imo. City will be a bit more of a test, but he'll still have massive resources to play with.

Sarkis on August 20, 2016:
What about diego simeone? ?
Saeed on August 07, 2016:
Where's Alex Ferguson
LilBudi on July 25, 2016:
Finally, someone agrees with me that Guardiola needs to prove at a smaller club.

Expected to win champions league at Bayern due to him being called the best manager but he failed.
To me he is a solid manager that has the best players and teams to work with, and this is the reason why he wins trophies.
People think this is why Luis Enrique,current boss of Barca wins, but the same should also be said about Guardiola.

Unknown on June 27, 2016:
No Guardiola? You're either bitter or just really really clueless.
FootballNut on December 15, 2015:
Jose Mourinho at number one?
I believe how good a manager is, all depends on what players he or she has.

For example, if Sir Alex Ferguson never had the players that come through the Manchester United ranks back in the early 1990's would he have been successful?
It was thanks to the youth that came through that attracted other top players from around the world to Manchester United. If Ferguson never had that group of players come through in the early 90's, it is possible that he would not have signed world class players on an ongoing basis as Manchester United would not have appealed to such players.

Yes, managers help guide players and name the teams based on who is available and who is not, it is not really a hard task to pick who is best to play against certain teams.
It backs it up this season, Mourinho is the best manager in the world, he is a genius and so on, if that is the case then why is his team sitting 2 points from relegation nearly half way through the season? If he was a genius, or if managers are so great in general he would have pulled Chelsea out of that situation weeks ago, he does not have performing players so he looks like an average manager. Players have control of what managers are deemed good and what managers are deemed average, if managers were in control of how great they are Jose would be doing great things currently, but he can't because the players can't be bothered.

SHANTANU on November 26, 2015:
why not sir alexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Joseph Santacruz from Warsaw, Poland on January 11, 2015:
Good stuff.... here's a small article about Manu, in case you want to check it out :)

Kamrul Hasan from Dhaka on December 01, 2014:
hm, i see. But Thomas what About Arsène Wenger? He is loyal but I guess can't tell that he is one of the best. Can we? If you really think about winning CL.
Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on December 01, 2014:

Thanks for commenting worldsoccer. I removed Alex Ferguson some time after he retired. Unlike my other articles, this is about the best current managers. Though, Hitzfeld has retired now I think, so it might need updating further. Perhaps Guardiola will go in if he wins the CL this year.
Kamrul Hasan from Dhaka on December 01, 2014:

Thanks for sharing it. But I was expecting Sir Alex Ferguson! Hope you have a reason.
Thomas Swan (author) from New Zealand on July 31, 2014:
Hi Samuel, I think a lot of managers could have taken that Barca team and won some trophies. Heck, I probably could have! When his team was finally humiliated and displaced at the top of European football, where did he go?... to the team that displaced them. What did he achieve there?... well, he got comprehensively beaten by Real Madrid in the CL semis. I wouldn't say he's made them a better team. Nevertheless, Pep needs to manage a lesser club or it'll be near-impossible to properly judge his talent. The best managers prove their ability, like Mourinho at Porto and Inter, Van Gaal at AZ or Holland, Rehhagel with Greece, etc.