When it comes to the question of what does make a football club successful, there are three things that have to be taken into account. A loyal fan base, talented players and ultimately an experienced coach, who can utilize the squad to its full potential and win titles. While players can easily be ranked based on their performance and the market value, it’s the coaches who show their worth by taking over the reins in any club and turning them into champions.
There are several managers who have achieved domestic and international success with clubs they have coached, however, there are only a handful that managed to stand out from the rest due to the remarkable achievements they reached during their coaching career. In this article we will look over the top 10 managers in the history of Premier League, ranking them based on the number of titles they have won. And while we all know who the most successful EPL coach is, there are nine others who deserve to be mentioned.
Table of Contents
Who are the best managers in the history of the Premier League?
10. Antonio Conte – Chelsea
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte lifts the trophy during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
The 50-year-old Italian mastermind and former Juventus midfielder has found himself on our 10th place due to his Premier League title he earned while being in charge of Chelsea in the 2016/17 season. That year, Chelsea finished with a remarkable 30-3-5 record and 93 points, which was seven points above runners-up Tottenham and 15 points above third-placed Manchester City. What makes his achievement even more memorable is that Chelsea finished 2015/16 season 10th in the league with 50 points, meaning they were closer to the relegation compared to claiming the title.
9. Claudio Ranieri – Leicester
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 10: Former Leicester City Manager Claudio Ranieri during the lap of the pitch in honour of the clubs late Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha after the Premier League match between Leicester City and Burnley at King Power Stadium on October 10th, 2018 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
When we talk about managers who achieved remarkable results with their clubs, we cannot ignore Claudio Ranieri, who wrote history, when he won the EPL in 2015/16 with Leicester City. While that is his only EPL title as a manager, it’s one that will go down in history as the biggest upset in the history of EPL, making his 2015/16 season with Leicester one for the hall of fame.
8. Roberto Mancini – Manchester City
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 07: Manchester City Manager Roberto Mancini gestures during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium on May 07, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Less than 10 years ago, Manchester City were not as dominant in EPL as they have proven to be nowadays, yet their dominance had to start somewhere and that was in 2011/12 season when the Sky Blues earned their third EPL title while under Roberto Mancini. That season produced one of the most memorable EPL title races between Manchester City and Manchester United, who ended the season tied at 89 points, yet it was Manchester City who came out ahead due to better GD (goal difference).
7. Manuel Pellegrini – Manchester City
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 08: Manuel Pellegrini, Manager of Manchester City gestures from the touchline during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on May 8, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Manuel Pellegrini took over the Sky Blues in 2013/14 season and took the team to their fourth Premier League title alongside earning Manager of the month award in December and January. That season he was one of the two managers who claimed more than one Manager of the month award, alongside Brendan Rodgers. Man City finished that season first, two points ahead of Liverpool.
6. Carlo Ancelotti – Chelsea
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Carlo Ancelotti the Chelsea manager watches from the touchline during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on May 15, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Carlo Ancelotti is our fourth Italian manager who proved his worth in EPL by taking Chelsea to the summit of English football in the 2019/10 season. It was Ancelotti’s first season with Chelsea and he not only managed to win the club’s third Premier League title but also helped the Blues earn their first FA Cup and FA Community Shield. Unfortunately, the Blues did not enjoy the same level of success in the UCL that season, seeing how they had to kneel down to Inter in the first stage of playoffs (1:3).
5. Kenny Dalglish – Blackburn Rovers
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 12: Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish reacts on the touchline during a Premier League match at Leicester City on December 17, 1994 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by King Prawn/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
Kenny Dalglish took over the Blackburn Rovers in 1991 and helped the team escape the second division in his first year as a manager. In years that followed, Dalglish impressed with his coaching, taking the second division team and turned them into serious title contenders. In 1992/93, Rovers ended EPL season fourth, runners-up a year later and went on to claim the title in 1994/95, finishing a single point above Manchester United. It marked the third and last Premier League title for Blackburn Rovers, who failed to find the same success since then.
4. Pep Guardiola – Manchester City
Image source: talksport.com
Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016 and he did not need long to turn the Sky Blues into a dominant force in the Premier League. In the two years as a manager Guardiola won two EPL titles (2017/18 and 2018/19) and will look to claim the third this season. He needed only two seasons to become the most successful manager in Manchester City’s history on top of becoming the only Spanish coach that has won the EPL title.
3. Jose Mourinho – Chelsea
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 13: Jose Mourinho is seen in the stands prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Everton FC at Craven Cottage on April 13, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Always controversial, but never underestimated, Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea in 2004 and went on to win two consecutive EPL titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons. In 2006/07 Chelsea finished runners-up behind Man United, however, they managed to claim the FA Cup. At the start of 2007/08 season Chelsea beat Birmingham (3:2) to set a new record of 64 consecutive home league matches without a defeat, however, their 2007/08 season was less than successful, resulting in Mourinho leaving the Blues in September 2007. He returned to Chelsea in 2013 and helped them claim their fourth Premier League title in the 2014/15 season. However, another poor start in 2015/16 season, when Chelsea lost nine out of their 16 league matches, saw Mourinho once again being shown the door, leaving the club for good. Despite that, he won three EPL titles with Chelsea making him one of the most successful Premier League managers and the most successful Chelsea’s coach.
2. Arsene Wenger – Arsenal
HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Arsene Wenger head coach / manager of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Arsenal at John Smith’s Stadium on May 13, 2018 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Arsene Wenger won three EPL titles with Arsenal between 1997/98 and 2003/2004. The French manager was one of the longest-serving managers in the EPL, joining Arsenal in 1996 and remaining at the club until 2018. While he earned only three Premier League titles in 22 long years with the club, he will always be remembered as a man who led Arsenal to a historic achievement in 2003/04, when the Gunners finished the season undefeated, earning the nickname “the Invincibles“. Unfortunately, the Arsenal era ended with that year, as they failed to reach the top of EPL in the years that followed. Adding to three EPL titles, Wenger also led Arsenal to seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields.
1. Alex Ferguson – Manchester United
Image source: foxsports.com.au
Last but not least, we have the legend himself, Alex Ferguson, who won an astonishing 13 EPL league titles with Manchester United between 1992/93 and 2012/13. Ferguson joined the Red Devils in 1986 and stayed with them until 2013, meaning he spent 27 years of his life as a manager of the most successful EPL club in history. His name will always be remembered in the football world, seeing how he won 13 out of 20 Premier League titles for Manchester United, on top of claiming five FA Cups, 10 Community Shields and two UCL titles. By claiming the most trophies out of any other manager in the history of football, Alex Ferguson is not only recognised as the best coach that ever appeared in EPL, but also one of the greatest managers of all time.
