The Highest Paid Coaches In Football, Ranked

Highlights

• Football managers have high-pressure jobs and are responsible for developing and managing their teams, earning millions in a widely-envied position.
• The highest-paid coaches in football are experienced individuals who have dedicated years to the game and have impressive resumes to show for it.
• Coaches like Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, and Roberto Mancini have achieved great success and signed lucrative contracts with top clubs, earning millions of dollars annually.

If an audience enjoys a puppet show, it was because the puppet master did a good job; football players may bask in the spotlight, but their coaches do the actual work behind the curtains.

The position of a soccer manager is one of the most high pressure jobs in the world. Win, and you are rewarded accordingly; lose, and you are sacked (with your reputation in tatters).

The Business of Soccer: How Football Clubs Make Millions

Nevertheless, football managers are doing a job they are passionate about, and are compensated handsomely. They are responsible for developing and managing their teams, overseeing training sessions, developing tactics, and match day preparations – earning millions of dollars in a widely envied position.

Among the highest paid football coaches, you will find the best in the sport – individuals who have dedicated years to the game and have an impressive resume to show for it.

10 Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus

$9.6 Million

Massimiliano Allegri is a revered coach in Italy, known for his quick wit and cunning tactics. He started as a player when he joined his hometown team, Livorno.

Allegri was a journeyman in his playing days, donning the colors of eleven teams in his 19 year career as a player on the pitch. Allegri transitioned into a football manager in the third-tier of Italian soccer association with Aglianese, where he ended his playing career.

His shot at fame came in 2008 when he joined Sassuolo, and led them to their first promotion from the third division to the second division. After building his reputation in the Italian league (spending four years at Milan), he joined Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed a trophy-laden first season.

In his time at Juventus, Allegri took several league titles and reached the European final twice. He signed a four-year deal in 2021 that will earn him over $9 million annually, a record in the Italian league.

9 Jorge Jesus, Al Hilal

$10.6 Million

Jorge Jesus started his career in Portugal at Sporting CP, going on to play for twelve other clubs in 17 years as a professional soccer player.

Jesus kicked off his management career in 1990 with lowly Amora FC in the Portuguese soccer league, before earning his stripes by leading several teams to promotion from the underground league tiers in the country. In 2009, he was incorporated by Portuguese giants Benfica, where he won ten trophies and reached two European Cup finals in six seasons.

His trade led him to South America in 2019, when Brazilian soccer club Flamengo signed him; Jesus won the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian championship in his debut season. Jorge Jesus joined Saudi club Al Hilal for a second stint in 2023, putting pen to paper on a $10.6 million deal.

8 Erik ten Hag, Manchester United

$11.1 Million

Eric ten Hag is not just a coach to his players, but a teacher and staunch disciplinarian. He started his coaching career at a young age and quickly made a name for himself.

Born and raised in the Netherlands, ten Hag was not particularly successful as a player, but he has made significant achievements as a coach – enough to turn the heads of top clubs in the game.

Manchester United first contacted him in the winter of 2022, and he agreed to join the club later that summer. As one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Manchester United's coaching contract comes with a fat check; the Dutch manager signed a three-year contract with the club that will see him take home $11 million annually.

Ten Hag repaid the club immediately, by winning them their first title in six years.

7 Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool

$11.1 Million

Jürgen Klopp – with his trademark glasses and his infectious smile – had a decent playing career as a striker and a defender before calling it quits on the pitch.

Not long after his retirement, he took the reins at Mainz 05, where he spent most of his career as a player. He left Mainz in 2008 to manage Borussia Dortmund; at Dortmund, he transformed into a cult hero, knocking perennial winners Bayern Munich off the perch by winning multiple championships.

He then moved to England, and signed a three-year contract with Liverpool. Klopp's spell at Liverpool is a success story; he won the club their first championship in 30 years.

As a manager, he revolutionized the game by introducing a unique playing style called the gengen-pressing; Klopp is lauded as one of the best managers in soccer, and has several individual awards to his name.

The Most Expensive Homes Owned By Footballers

6 Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea

$11.69 Million

Mauricio Pochettino had a great career as a player, but he has achieved even more as a coach. He was appointed as manager of his old club, Espanyol, to help them avoid demotion to the lower league, a task he completed successfully.

In 2013, he moved to England to manage Championship side Southampton – and led the side to notable victory against top teams. Pochettino had his shot at the spotlight when he was appointed the coach of Tottenham Hotspur; he exceeded expectations at the club and led them to the European Cup final in 2021.

The Argentinian moved to Chelsea in 2023, and was tasked with bringing the club back to glory (while getting compensated generously for it).

5 Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich

$12.8 Million

While the German tactician now commands an annual fee of over $12 million at Bayern, he rose from humble beginnings as a bartender, earning his first paycheck mixing cocktails at a night bar.

Dubbed "The Professor" by his peers, Tuchel quit soccer at a young age due to a severe injury; he ventured into education and earned a degree in Business Administration. Tuchel went on a short sabbatical in 2022 after he left English giant Chelsea.

He was called back into action in May 2023 to manage German club Bayern Munich, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract valued at $12 million annually.

4 Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid

$16.1 Million

As a player, Diego Simeone is remembered for his infamous theatrics, which resulted in David Beckham being sent off in the 1998 World Cup. However, as a manager, Diego Simeone has had several memorable moments and has earned his place as the most successful manager in the history of Atlético Madrid.

Following his appointment in 2011, his task was simple: keep the team as competitive as possible, a task he has consistently exceeded. In his tenure at the club's helm, Simeone has won eleven titles.

He has renewed his contract four times with the club; in 2021, he committed to a three-year contract that will see him earn half a million every week.

David Beckham: The Business Empire Of A Global Superstar

3 Steven Gerrard, Al Ettifaq

$18.8 Million

Steven Gerrard is a legend of the game in his own right, having spent 17 years at his hometown club, Liverpool, where he won nine trophies. Gerrard kicked off his managerial career in 2018, signing with the Scottish club Rangers.

Gerrard had a successful spell as the manager of Rangers. Although he is relatively new as a coach, the Englishman has shown much promise.

He caught the attention of the cash-rich Saudi club Al Ettifaq, who recruited him to transform the club's fortunes. Gerrard inked a contract with the club in the summer of 2023, a deal that will see him pocket $18.8 million annually, making him the third-highest paid coach in football.

2 Pep Guardiola, Manchester City

$24.5 Million

Pep Guardiola needs no introduction; even among general fans, his reputation precedes him. His exploits as a coach have overshadowed his successes as a player.

Few managers can boast success with their hometown club during their playing career and as a manager, and fewer still can pride themselves on achieving success with other European clubs. Guardiola went into management at his old club, Barcelona, and has never looked back since; he set a record at the club, winning 14 titles in 3 years, their most successful era.

In 2016, Sheik Mansour brought him in to help propel Manchester City to new heights. The Catalan coach renewed his contract, which will keep him at the club for two more years, accompanied by a weekly payment of half a million.

Guardiola is a celebrity manager; his marketability has attracted global brands like Puma and Gore-Tex.

1 Roberto Mancini, Saudi Arabia

$32 million

Saudi Arabia's commendable performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has left supporters wanting more. The nation's soccer association recruited highly respected Italian boss Roberto Mancini to lead the charge.

Roberto Mancini's name is synonymous with success; his stints at top soccer clubs like Inter Milan and Manchester City were immensely prosperous. Mancini signed the most lucrative football contract as a coach with Saudi Arabia's national team in 2023; this deal will see him earn $32 million yearly.

Mancini's net worth is estimated at $45 million, a figure that aptly reflects his accomplishments in his career as a manager.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmoaGXnbK0wIypmKKcXZu8sMDBmqOlZZOkrqS0xKxm