Manager Power Rankings: Guardiola and Arteta go head-to-head for top spot

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 12 Dec 2025 06:24 CST
• 9 min read

Analysis

The FootballTransfers Manager Power Ranking is BACK going into 2026.

Who are the best managers in the world? FT outlines the best coaches and how they are currently perceived by fans, clubs, and the media alike.

Our bespoke algorithm takes into account a huge number of factors, including:

• Club current form, adjusted for the strength of the competition
• European form
• Style of play
• Reputation
• Media buzz
• Recent trophies won
• Experience
• Recent additional achievements

All of this comes together to form the list below:

1. Pep GUARDIOLA (Man City)

Just when it appeared as if Pep was perhaps meandering towards an exit from football, he's only gone and built another impressive Manchester City team.

This one is different from the rest, upending the style that he is associated with and pushing Erling Haaland to be the best striker in the world by some distance.

Throw in some adept new signings - Rayan Cherki proving to be the standout - along with the re-emergence of Phil Foden, City look formidable again and Pep seems to have his groove back.

2. Mikel ARTETA (Arsenal)

He may well have spent €1 billion building this team, but Arteta's Arsenal are positively purring at the moment. There have been a few bumps along the way, but the manner in which the Gunners dispatch weaker teams puts them in pole position to finally secure that long-awaited Premier League title.

Arteta's side have unbelievable strength in depth, having been able to endure difficult runs of injuries by putting in a player of equal or, in some cases, better talent.

That fact alone will make them extraordinarily difficult to stop. It's taken Arteta a fair amount of time to get here, but now they are, they are here to stay.

3. Vincent KOMPANY (Bayern Munich)

Kompany's emergence as one of the most impressive coaches in Europe was difficult to envisage when his Burnley team were losing most weeks in the Premier League.

But Bayern saw something in him, and to his credit, he is delivering one of the finest, most attacking, thrilling Bayern teams for some time.

With Harry Kane turning into a No.10 and the emergence of new young talent, Bayern will win the Bundesliga comfortably - allowing them to focus their efforts on the Champions League.

4. Luis ENRIQUE (PSG)

One of the most formidable Champions League winners of all time, PSG haven't quite hit those heights yet this season, struggling a little for domestic form as they haven't been able to field their full-strength attack very often this season.

But this squad is quite incredible, bolstered further by the emergence of players from the academy who look just as exciting as those ahead of them in the pecking order.

What Luis Enrique has done is actually make PSG a legitimate force instead of a football circus - no mean feat.

5. Unai EMERY (Aston Villa)

There's a case to be made that Emery is the most underrated coach of the 21st century. His achievements at the likes of Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal are the stuff of legend considering the budgets he worked with.

And yet the relative failures at PSG and Arsenal - far shorter spells than the ones of success - will always be held against him. Slowly, what he's achieving at Villa is shaping a different narrative.

He has full autonomy at Villa now, and even given some financial restrictions because of over-exertion in the past, he's making them real contenders for a return to the Champions League.

6. Xabi ALONSO (Real Madrid)

Alonso remains one of the most coveted coaches in the world - despite what is currently happening at Real Madrid.

He's slowly discovering that the management of this bunch of Galacticos, with their own egos and desires, is not the same as a plucky bunch of Leverkusen stars looking to punch above their weight.

It's a critical moment for Alonso. He needs to get a handle on things quickly. This is not to do with his talent, more his man-management skills. He's a fantastic coach - despite what Real Madrid may feel about him.

7. Hansi FLICK (Barcelona)

Barca fans may be nervous over his notoriously high defensive line, but it's hard to argue that Flick's incarnation of Barcelona is one of the most exciting in years.

He successfully overtook Real Madrid in the league last season and negotiated their triumphant return to Camp Nou, all playing the type of football that Barca fans truly appreciate.

They have fallen short in the Champions League, but with the attacking talent Flick has available, they will always be a threat - if their defensive issues can be controlled.

8. Diego SIMEONE (Atletico Madrid)

Simeone continues to go strong and in this new incarnation of Atleti he is setting them up to be a serious threat in the Champions League once again.

Domestically their away form is just too inconsistent to keep up with Barcelona and Real Madrid, but in Europe they are in excellent touch, and it is testimony to Simeone's ability to reinvent this team over a decade and a half.

It's difficult to imagine Atleti without him at this point.

9. Oliver GLASNER (Crystal Palace)

It's hard to overestimate the job Glasner has done at Palace; he has turned a perennial bottom-half side into one of the most progressive outfits in Europe.

And he's been forced to do so despite suffering turnover of talent on a consistent basis; he lost Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and will lose Marc Guehi this summer, but Glasner will keep things ticking.

He's delivered an FA Cup and European football - might he deliver a European trophy as well?

10. Luis DE LA FUENTE (Spain)

The Euro 2024 winning coach helped to return Spain to the summit of European football with a slick team and brilliant performances.

He will lead Spain into World Cup 2026 as one of the clear favourites, and is a rare example of a coach in international football now without much experience at club level, but one that would be very coveted should he wish to switch.

Given the Spain team he inherited - ageing and in need of a refresh - he has performed a spectacular job.

11. Sebastian HOENESS (Stuttgart)

Stuttgart's budget is modest and yet their output is worth far more than the sum of their parts, thanks in no small part to Sebastian Hoeness.

From the brink of relegation, he has delivered Champions League football and then a DFB Pokal title, and once again they are in the conversation to return to Europe's premier tournament.

His transformation really has been something to behold and if he chooses to leave, there will be multiple clubs watching with intent.

12. Antonio CONTE (Napoli)

Conte is doing what Conte does; winning league titles. And although there is usually a drop-off when he's asked to compete domestically and in Europe, they are still favourites to retain their Serie A crown.

In Europe, they have work to do in order to reach the knockout stages, but the manner in which he has turned Scott McTominay into one of the world's most exciting talents has been truly special to watch.

13. Peter BOSZ (PSV)

There's always a cap on what is possible in the Dutch Eredivisie but Bosz's PSV side are making such light work of it, they have their eyes set on doing the same in Europe.

As Ajax struggle hopelessly to compete, PSV instead destroyed Liverpool and have been competitive in nearly every European match.

They are flying in top spot in the league and Bosz - a man who has been around Europe in the last 20 years - has the experience to get the best out of his team.

14. Arne SLOT (Liverpool)

Yes, this has been an extremely testing spell for Slot after a first campaign which went as well as any first season possibly could.

And he's feeling the pressure, particularly given the Mo Salah situation. But he hasn't become a bad coach overnight, and he's having to integrate £400m of talent into a new setup. It all depends whether he's given the chance to get it right.

15. Thomas TUCHEL (England)

It's always hard to balance international performance versus club, but Tuchel has, so far, done everything asked of him with England.

Their qualifying process was methodical, ruthless, and stress-free, setting them up to have their first serious challenge to win the World Cup in arguably 20 years.

16. Enzo MARESCA (Chelsea)

If Maresca can just manage to get some kind of consistency from his talented group of players, Chelsea would be a serious contender on all fronts.

But it shows where Chelsea are that if we did this list a few weeks ago, Maresca would likely be higher; their dreadful recent run simply highlights that Maresca still has work to do to get this team where they need to be.

17. Fabian HURZELER (Brighton)

Hurzeler is one of the youngest managers in Premier League history but he has been another hugely successful appointment at a club that very rarely get it wrong.

Brighton might be a little more inconsistent but are arguably more exciting to watch than ever, with a deep squad full of burgeoning talent, and Hurzeler's tactical nous continues to get the best out of them.

18. Pierre SAGE (Lens)

It's almost impossible to comprehend how unlikely it is that Lens should be topping the table ahead of PSG, but that's what Sage is achieving on a budget one-tenth of their rivals.

And it's largely down to Sage, a deeply underrated coach performing miracles in a league where financial issues have made competing at all ever more difficult.

19. Massimiliano ALLEGRI (Milan)

Much respect has to be shown to Allegri, who has taken a totally disjointed Milan side lacking in any real direction and positioned them as potential Serie A contenders.

Allegri is a coach who has been maligned at times but he is once again proving that he can get the best out of bad situations using his talent for player management.

20. Cristian CHIVU (Inter)

It was an extraordinarily difficult task for Chivu to pick up the pieces after Simone Inzaghi's departure and the pummelling at the hands of PSG in the Champions League final.

It's not been perfect - but it could have been much worse. Inter are in a good spot in Europe and are competing for the Scudetto - not much more could have been asked of the Romanian.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 20

21. Ole WERNER (RB Leipzig)

22. Ruben AMORIM (Man Utd)

23. Cesc FABREGAS (Como)

24. Niko KOVAC (Dortmund)

25. Frank LAMPARD (Coventry)

26. Andoni IRAOLA (Bournemouth)

27. Marcelino GARCIA TORAL (Villarreal)

28. Didier DESCHAMPS (France)

29. Gian Piero GASPERINI (Roma)

30. Julian NAGELSMANN (Germany)