Gone are the days of crusty old veterans sitting on the bench managing a football club. The likes of Roy Hodgson, Bobby Robson, and Claudio Ranier are excellent managers, but football is becoming increasingly a young man’s game. Players who retire young quickly jump into the driving seat of a football club and immediately start making results.
We have seen this time and time again in the past, but never has it been so apparent that it is today. Which are the best young football managers today? Here are our best picks of young talents who have already made a name for themselves.
Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton Hove & Albion) Age 31
Fabian Hurzeler became only the second youngest manager after he was appointed by Brighton this year. The German is only 31 years old and has Brighton DNA written all over him. His biggest achievement was gaining a promotion with St. Pauli last season, which immediately brought him on the Seagull’s radar.
His style of play is exciting to watch. Hurzeler’s teams play an efficient style of football. Graced with fast movements and lots of goal opportunities. Even though there is still a lot that he needs to do, Hurzeler qualifies among the best young managers in football that Europe has to offer at the moment.
Ruben Amorim (Sporting CP) Age 39
Ruben Amorim’s quick rise to prominence also gave him the stamp of one of the best young football coaches in Europe. He was linked with Liverpool and West Ham before the start of the season. But eventually, he decided to stay with Sporting, the club that gave him so much. After spending nine years with Benfica and a single one with Braga, Amorim decided to retire. But he stayed in footballing circles as a coach.
His first-ever appointment at Sporting Braga earned him a Portuguese Cup. This trophy brought him to the attention of Sporting, the team that appointed him the very next year. What he did was to win the title with the Leões after 19 years. He continued with two more Cups and a Portuguese Super Cup, bringing his tally of trophies to five at this moment.
Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) Age 42
You knew this list was going to include Xabi Alonso. How could we not go without him? He is one of the most talented coaches in the world. You can go ahead and give him the title of the best young manager only because he managed to dethrone Bayern Munich after 12 years of dominance.
Alonso’s Leverkusen is one of the most fun teams to watch. He employs a 3-4-3 formation and relies mostly on his wingers, Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo. Both know how to score and assist. But he also knows how to use Florian Wirtz to the best of his potential.
Last season, we saw Leverkusen on the cusp of defeat multiple times. Somehow, they always managed to get away with it and even score emphatic wins at the same time.
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) Age 41
Learning the craft directly from Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta became one of the best young players and football managers in 2024. However, after showing what he could do at Arsenal, he also became one of his biggest rivals. Arteta was so good that he has been challenging for the EPL trophy for the last two years, something that the Gunners have been unable to do for years.
This just might be Arteta’s year, the one where he could make a name for himself. Arsenal are massive contenders to overtone Man City once again. They failed and came second two years in a row. But who knows, the third time’s the charm.
