Ranking best Spanish football managers of all time

Spain have been one of the footballing powerhouses over the years and certainly in modern day football. Spain’s national side and Spanish clubs have been exceptional to watch in every competition. This incredible footballing culture has not only led to some exceptional players coming in from their ranks, but also some brilliant Spanish managers dominating world football.

Filled with tactical nous, innovative ideas and just pure love for the game, loads of Spanish managers have performed exceedingly well across leagues in Europe. There are many who are still in action and are dominating world football.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top 10 best Spanish football managers of all time:

10. Xabi Alonso

Surprised? Xabi Alonso is a relatively new manager, having started as a first team manager in late 2022. However, he does make the list because of what he has achieved in such a short time already.

Alonso became Bayer Leverkusen’s manager mid-season in 2022. In his first full season (2023-24), he helped them win the Bundesliga title for the first time in history along with the DFB-Pokal. They did so by remaining unbeaten throughout. In fact, they lost just one game in the entire season – UEFA Europa League final against Atalanta.

It will be interesting to see where Alonso goes from here.

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9. Javier Clemente

Javier Clemente managed loads of clubs and nations, but is most remembered for his multiple stints at Athletic Bilbao. Known for his rough and pragmatic style, Clemente led them to two consecutive La Liga titles in 1983 and 1984.

He also helped them win the Copa del Rey in the 1983-84 season. They won their first major trophy since then in 2023-24.

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8. Luis de la Fuente

Luis de la Fuente might not have the big honors some of the other names on the list might have, but his influence on Spanish football cannot be understated. He recently led Spain to the UEFA Euro 2024 win and also won the UEFA Nations League in the 2022-23 season with them.

However, de la Fuente’s real influence lies in his work with Spain’s youth sides. He won the U19 Euros and the U21 Euros and has helped develop many big stars in the country.

7. Unai Emery

Unai Emery had an underwhelming spell at Arsenal but apart from that, he’s been one of the best Spanish managers in recent times. He won three UEFA Europa League trophies with Sevilla and one with Villarreal as well. He also won multiple trophies with PSG.

Emery also brought Aston Villa from a position of fighting the relegation battle to qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the 2023-24 season. He has been brilliant at almost every club he’s been at.

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6. Jose Villalonga

Villalonga started his managerial career with Real Madrid at just 35 years of age. He led arguably the biggest club in the world to European and domestic success between 1954 and 1957.

He later joined city rivals Atletico Madrid and won three trophies with them as well, including one European trophy. He also led Spain to the European Championship trophy in 1964. The Spaniard passed away at the age of 53, otherwise, he could’ve probably added more accolades to his legacy.

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5. Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique has been another one of the most influential Spanish managers in modern football. He has managed clubs like AS Roma, Barcelona, and PSG, and tasted great success with some of them. He won the coveted treble with Barcelona in 2015, among numerous other trophies.

Enrique also had a stint with Spain’s national team, which wasn’t the most successful. However, he returned to club management with PSG and helped them achieve domestic success as well.

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4. Miguel Munoz

Miguel Munoz managed Real Madrid between 1959 and 1974, making him the longest-serving manager at the club. He also brought immense success to the club, winning a whopping 9 La Liga titles, and two Spanish cups along with three European trophies.

Munoz also managed the likes of Granada and the Spanish national team, but couldn’t achieve much with them.

3. Luis Aragones

One of Atletico Madrid’s greatest managers, Luis Aragones left a big legacy in Spanish football. He led the Rojiblancos to multiple trophies in his multiple stints at the club and also won silverware with Barcelona.

Aragones also led the Spanish national team to the 2008 Euros victory, before leaving his post.

2. Vicente del Bosque

Vicente del Bosque took over the Spanish national team in 2008 and delivered well with them. While they were loaded with incredible talent like Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, David Villa, and more, Del Bosque’s tactics and authority helped them win the World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012.

He had previously managed Real Madrid as well, winning two La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies, among other honors.

1. Pep Guardiola

Not that it was a surprise, but Pep Guardiola tops the list of the best Spanish managers of all time. He has had major achievements in his career with every club but also, his influence on modern football cannot be quantified.

He built what was arguably the best Barcelona team of all time, winning a sextuple among numerous other trophies with the club. He then took over Bayern Munich and again, saw great success before building the best Manchester City team of all time. He has led them to six Premier League titles, their maiden UEFA Champions League trophy, and numerous other honors.

Guardiola’s tiki-taka or possession-based style of play became synonymous with success, so much so, that many managers tried to copy it. Many of the current managers like Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), and Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich) played or managed under Guardiola and have now taken over as managers of big clubs.

Hence, it’s clear that Pep Guardiola is the best Spanish manager of all time and is in the argument for being the best manager in the beautiful game’s history as well.

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FAQs

Q. Why are Spanish managers so good?

A. A history of great footballing culture in Spain, immense success and dominance of clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, and tactical nous.

Q. Who is the manager to win most La Liga titles?

A. Miguel Munoz – 9 titles, all with Real Madrid.

Q. Which is the most successful Spanish team?

A. Real Madrid – 71 trophies.

Q. Who is the longest-serving football manager in Spain?

A. Currently, it’s Diego Simeone, who has been at Atletico Madrid since 2011.

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