70. Carlos Bianchi
The most triumphant coach in South American club history, Bianchi is so much more than a Larry David lookalike.
After disappointing managerial spells at Reims and Nice, the Argentinian returned home with Velez Sarsfield and promptly won three league championships, the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.
He was even more successful at Boca Juniors, triumphing in the Libertadores in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He also masterminded victories over Real Madrid and Milan in the Intercontinental Cup, making Boca the best club team on the planet.
69. Hennes Weisweiler
So great were Weisweiler’s feats, two iconic institutions of the game are named after him: the German Sports Academy... and Hennes the Goat.
He created Borussia Monchengladbach’s fine team of the ’70s, taking them from the second tier to three Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Cup.
Time abroad (featuring a year at Barça) resulted in trophies at the New York Cosmos and Grasshoppers – and he won a fourth German crown with Köln. No wonder they named a goat after him.
68. Cesar Luis Menotti
“There’s right-wing football and there’s left-wing football.” Open-shirted, long-haired and with a constant curl of cigarette smoke emanating between his fingers, Menotti was rock ‘n’ roll personified.
He believed the game belonged to the people, and that his teams must entertain. Such zeal for an attacking, high-pressing strategy swept Argentina to World Cup glory at home in 1978, inspiring disciples like Marcelo Bielsa and Pep Guardiola – who still enjoy his counsel today.
67. Gavriil Kachalin
The Soviet Union stood firm for 69 years, and Kachalin (suited above) was its most successful football coach.
Back in 1956, the Muscovite guided them to maiden Olympic gold in the sport, defeating Yugoslavia in the Melbourne final. Four years on came victory in the inaugural European Championship of 1960 – again Yugoslavia were the victims, this time in Paris.
After returning to club level, Kachalin led Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi to a first Soviet league title in 1964. Even more history made.
66. Joachim Low
Most bosses would have been booted out immediately for overseeing a World Cup as poor as Germany’s in 2018. But most hadn't built up Low’s level of credit since becoming manager in 2006.
His belief in the talented crop of kids coming through in 2009 paid dividends when, five years later, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Özil & co. stormed to success in Brazil.
Löw directed the most devastating victory in major tournament history when his charges embarrassed the hosts 7-1 in the semi-finals. He's been out of work since finally leaving the national team in 2021.
65. Carlos Bilardo
Bilardo replaced Cesar Luis Menotti as Argentina coach to disgruntlement in 1983, despite recent success with Estudiantes. But style was unimportant. “You have to think about being first,” he said. “Because second is no good.”
Fortunately for La Albiceleste, such a mantra liberated Diego Maradona to cause mayhem at Mexico 86, as Argentina became world champions for the second time in eight years.
Under Bilardo, they also reached Italia 90’s final showdown, but second was no good.
64. Fernando Santos
Santos may have played second fiddle to a wounded and wild Cristiano Ronaldo during the Euro 2016 Final, but Portugal’s unlikely conquerors were made in their coach’s image.
His side beat the Netherlands to 2019 Nations League glory too, led by their talismanic skipper whose strengths are expertly catered for.
Santos – a champion with Porto, three-time cup winner and Greek Superleague Manager of the Decade 2000-10 – is well versed in getting a team over the line.
63. Emerich Jenei
In six previous seasons in the European Cup, Steaua Bucharest had never progressed past the first round. Under Jenei they went all the way, becoming the first Eastern European side to lift the trophy in 1986 after seeing off Barcelona.
Jenei enjoyed six spells as Steaua coach, winning five league titles either side of taking Romania to their first World Cup for 20 years in 1990 – then sending England packing at Euro 2000. A fan of Phil Neville, presumably.
62. Stefan Kovacs
Ajax’s glory years began under Rinus Michels – but history often forgets Kovacs (left above), the Romanian who succeeded him.
Kovacs offered remarkable levels of freedom to his team full of winners – especially Johan Cruyff and Piet Keizer – and reaped the rewards that followed with consecutive Eredivisie titles and European Cups in 1972 and 1973.
Kovacs is still the only foreign coach of the French national side, and helped to set up the Clairefontaine academy.
61. Nevio Scala
Parma were football’s cult club of the 1990s – and Scala was their creator. Having introduced an innovative wing-back system and signed wisely, the former Reggina boss took Parma into Europe in their first season back in Serie A.
They didn’t stop there. Scala’s side, playing a daring form of football, won the Coppa Italia in 1992, then lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup the following year.
Their apex came in 1994/95, when Parma beat Athletic Bilbao, Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus en route to UEFA Cup glory.
