10 Best football managers who are currently unemployed
Football management can be quite a tricky game. One minute you’re at the top and the next thing you know, you may be out of a job for an indefinite period. Even some of the very best managers in the game have experienced it and we’ll be exploring the very best unemployed football managers.
10. David Moyes
After spending more than a decade at the helm of Everton, Moyes went on to replace Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. His unsuccessful season there was followed by spells at clubs like Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham United.
Although he wasn’t always a popular figure at West Ham, he nonetheless led the club to a historical moment, lifting the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League by beating Fiorentina. It was the club’s first trophy in 43 years. He left West Ham once his contract ran out, the following season and there are no links to other clubs at the time being.
David Moyes hasn’t been linked with any jobs since leaving West Ham United but many expect him to be in the running for any Premier League jobs that come around in 2024/25. However, the role that we can see Moyes looking out for would be the Scotland manager role after/if Steve Clarke leaves the national side.
9. Maurizio Sarri
Sarri has had an interesting journey, starting as an amateur football player who worked at a bank in the morning. He would eventually transfer to football management full-time, working his way up the Italian football world until he made it to Serie A.
Sarri enjoyed successful seasons with Empoli and Napoli before moving to Chelsea and eventually returning to Italy to manage Juventus. He spent three seasons at Lazio, pushing the club to second place in Serie A and qualifying for Champions League football for two consecutive seasons. He eventually resigned from his position in March 2024.
Sarri was briefly linked to Newcastle United and West Ham United last season as both teams struggled to live up to the previous season's success. However, it seems much more likely that Sarri will remain in Italy.
8. Rafa Benitez
A few years ago, Rafa Benitez enjoyed the luxury of being one of the most celebrated managers in football. He managed several clubs in Spain including Valladolid, Osasuna and Tenerife before landing the big job at Valencia. He’s remembered as the club’s best manager, winning La Liga twice and claiming the UEFA Cup in 2004.
His success would lead him to [Liverpool](/betting/football/england-premier-league where he led the club to two UEFA Champions League finals and claimed the trophy in the first final. The rest of his career would take him all across Europe, managing some of the best teams around, including Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Newcastle United. His last club was Celta Vigo, which he managed for a single season before being let go in 2024.
Since leaving Celta Vigo, Benitez hasn’t found another job, rumours have stated that Benitez could take a role in Saudi Arabia but it is our belief that Benitez will end up in South America.
7. Joachim Löw
In 2004, Löw became assistant manager for the German national team and would eventually take the lead in 2006.
During his tenure, Germany enjoyed a golden age of football, cementing themselves as favourites in all the major competitions they formed part of. His crowning achievement would come in 2014 when Germany lifted the FIFA World Cup. Three years later, Germany would go on to win the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He decided to retire following the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 and has remained one of the best football managers without a job ever since.
At 64, it looks unlikely that Joachim Low will return to management in the coming years but it would be fantastic to see one of the greatest International managers take on a big role on the domestic stage.
6. Xavi
Xavi formed part of a golden age of players at Barcelona before going into management. He started his career with Al Sadd in Qatar, managing the club for two seasons before moving back to his beloved Barcelona.
He spent three seasons with the Catalan giants and won La Liga in his first year. The following two seasons proved to be tumultuous and Xavi was let go by the club in 2024.
Xavi was linked with Liverpool before they eventually decided on Arne Slot. However, the rumour that sticks out is that Pep Guardiola will be replaced by Xavi at Manchester City, which could be a fantastic appointment for the Citizens when Pep eventually decides to leave the club.
5. Mauricio Pochettino
Pocchettino started his managerial career with Espanyol before moving to Southampton and eventually Tottenham Hotspur.
Here he became known as one of the very best managers in the Premier League, leading the club to their very first UEFA Champions League final. Since then he has managed Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea. He left Chelsea in 2024 after clashing with management over his style and strategy.
It hasn’t taken long for Mauricio Pochettino to be linked with new jobs, many believe that the fate of the England job will have a large impact on Mauricio Pochettino’s future. Poch was one of the favourites to take the role but eventually dropped in price. However, one of the main names linked with the role is Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, who if he takes the role, Mauricio Pochettino is widely rumoured to be PIF’s preferred replacement.
4. Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel had some big shoes to fill at Borussia Dortmund after Jurgen Klopp’s departure. He rose to the challenge before moving to Paris Saint Germain. Tuchel managed the French club for two seasons, winning the league twice and leading PSG to their very first UEFA Champions League final.
He would eventually join Chelsea and win the UEFA Champions League in his first season. After disagreements with the management, he left for Bayern Munich and won the Bundesliga before resigning from the club.
Before Eric Ten Hag signed a contract extension with Manchester United, it was widely expected that Tuchel would be the chosen new manager for the Red Devils. However, those rumours have gone very quiet. It would be interesting to see if Manchester United had a poor start to their campaign, if the board switched from Ten Hag to Tuchel.
3. Massimiliano Allegri
Allegri managed several Serie A clubs before taking the job at AC Milan. He spent four years in Milan winning both the Scudetto and Supercoppa Italiana. His success would lead him to Juventus, where he would win eleven trophies in four years, including five consecutive Scudetti, four Coppa Italia trophies and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
He also led the club to two UEFA Champions League finals but never managed to take it home. Allegri would then take two years off, before returning to Juventus for another three seasons. Bad behaviour on the pitch during a Coppa Italia final would see him sacked from the club.
After his behaviour got him sacked from Juventus, it is likely that Allegri will look to take a year+ out of management before returning to football. Alternatively, if the Italian National team decided to pull the plug on Luciano Spalletti following a less than satisfactory Euro 2024 campaign, it would make sense for them to approach Allegri - who has been a serial winner at some of Italy’s biggest clubs.
2. Zinedine Zidane
After establishing himself as one of the best footballers of all time, Zinedine Zidane would go on to coach his former club, Real Madrid.
In three years, he won the UEFA Champions League three times in a row, an unprecedented achievement by any manager and even won La Liga twice. He would eventually return to Real Madrid for two more seasons but failed to have the same impact. Zidane was then offered the chance to manage the United States national team but declined. As such, he remains one of the most prominent unemployed football managers.
Similar to Thomas Tuchel, the only management role that Zinedine Zidane has been widely linked to is the role at Manchester United, the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain has been rumoured but nothing concrete has indicated that Zidane is not currently looking for a return to management.
1. Jurgen Klopp
Few managers in football are as adored as Jurgen Klopp. The German’s charisma and success have made him one of the most sought-after managers in the game. But rather than jumping from one club to another, Klopp has played the long game with every team he’s managed, spending no less than seven years wherever he’s worked.
He started with Mainz 05, before moving to Borussia Dortmund where he won the Bundesliga and led the team to the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. Klopp then joined Liverpool, building one of the strongest teams in Europe during his tenure. He would go on to win the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup before stepping back in 2024.
Where Jurgen Klopp will go next, it’s very difficult to say, with Julian Nagelsmann looking strong with a talented Germany side, his most likely destination is currently taken. Given Klopp’s personality it is unlikely that he takes another role in the Premier League or in Germany. Our bet would be that Klopp eventually replaces Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid but the strongest rumour is for Klopp to move into International football with England.