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In the murky world of football management where results are all that matter, it is extremely rare to see a manager last the full length of his contract.
More often than not, coaches are the first to be shown the exit door when things go south. It serves as a quick fix to the underlying problems; after all, you cannot change a full squad of 23 players midway through the season.
This is especially true at the elite stages, where higher levels of competition mean that coaches' jobs are less safe.
It is not an uncommon sight for some clubs to have as many as three different managers in one season. One of the most popular spreads by bookmakers in recent years has been providing odds for the first manager to be sacked in a league.
Once upon a time, this was not the case. Managers exerted so much influence over clubs that they practically built dynasties and molded the teams in their own image.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby at Manchester United, Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, Bill Struth at Rangers, Willy Maley at Celtic and Guy Roux (who spent an amazing 36 years consecutively as Auxerre manager) are all examples of such managers.
All these men have one thing in common; they each spent decades at one club and have become mythical figures in their respective club's history
However, the idea of a long-serving manager is very much a fossilized one in the modern game. These days, it is more likely for a coach to be sacked within six years of his appointment than it is for him to last five years at the same club.
Despite the pitfalls associated with football management, there are some coaches who have managed to last the distance.
This could either be because they secured the required result or have already gotten a long stay of execution with their successes in the dugout.
On that note, here is a rundown of the 10 longest-serving managers currently in Europe's top five leagues.
NB: All stats and numbers are correct at the time of writing.
#10 Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Simone Inzaghi (Lazio) - July 2016 to present (4 years, six months)
The list kicks off with a three-way tie, as all three managers were appointed prior to the start of the 2016-2017 season.
Simone Inzaghi was appointed caretaker manager of Lazio in April 2016 before being replaced by Marcelo Bielsa, who lasted just a week before resigning.
Since his appointment was made permanent, Inzaghi has restored Lazio's place in the upper echelons of the Italian game.
The 44-year-old guided I Biancocelesti back to the UEFA Champions League after a 13-year absence. The club also secured progress to the knockout round for the first time in two decades.
Inzaghi's time at the Stadio Olimpico saw Lazio win the Coppa Italia in 2019 as well as two Italian Super Cups.
Meanwhile, Thierry Laurey's appointment at Strasbourg saw him lead the club back to Ligue 1 after a nine-year absence, and they have remained in the top flight since then.
Two years later, he guided the club to the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, which they won by defeating Guingamp on penalties in the final.
Pep Guardiola needs no introduction anywhere in the world and is widely regarded as the greatest tactician of his generation and one of the best coaches in history.
The 50-year-old achieved immortality with Barcelona from 2008 to 2012 before going on to attain more success with Bayern Munich for three years. He agreed a pre-contract with Manchester City in February 2016 and took over at the club later that summer.
After a forgettable debut season that saw him fail to win a trophy for the first time in his managerial career, Guardiola has since taken the Premier League by storm.
The Spanish tactician has won eight major honors with the Cityzens, with several unbelievable records set en-route, including becoming the first side in English football history to reach a century of points in a single season.
#9 Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) - June 2016 to present (4 years, seven months)
When Gian Piero Gasperini took over Atalanta in the summer of 2016, the club had very modest ambitions of just avoiding relegation to Serie B.
In the intervening five years, the 63-year-old has transformed the provincial side into one of the most exciting clubs in all of Europe.
Atalanta have regularly punched above their weight in Serie A and have achieved qualification to the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League in consecutive seasons. All these came despite having one of the smallest budgets in Italian football.
The Bergamo outfit have won many admirers with their expansive style of play, with many hitherto unknown players going on to become renowned under Gasperini.
#8 Chris Wilder (Sheffield United) - May 2016 - present (4 years, eight months)
Chris Wilder spent a total of seven years at Sheffield United during his playing days and returned to the club as a manager in May 2016.
The Blades were in League One when Wilder was appointed but a run of two promotions in three years (including a club-record 100-point haul in 2017) saw the South Yorkshire side gain promotion to the Premier League.
He guided the club to an incredible 9th-place finish in his first season back. However, things have gone awry in the current campaign, with Sheffield United currently occupying the bottom place on the standings.
#7 Alvaro Cervera (Cadiz) - April 2016 - present (4 years, nine months)
Alvaro Cervera was appointed as the manager of Cadiz in April 2016, with the club languishing in the Spanish third division.
He helped the club attain promotion to the second division in his first full season in charge before losing out on promotion to La Liga a year later.
Cadiz finally returned to La Liga in July 2020, ending a 14-year absence from the Spanish top flight.
It has been a bitter-sweet return for the Andalusians. They are currently engaged in a relegation scrap, although shock victories have already been registered against Real Madrid and Barcelona.
#6 Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) - October 2015 to present (5 years, three months)
Jurgen Klopp made a name for himself at Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won consecutive Bundesliga titles.
His appointment at Liverpool in October 2015 saw him promise to turn 'doubters to believers'. He fulfilled his promise five years later when he guided the Reds to a maiden Premier League title.
The UEFA Champions League as well as the FIFA Club World Cup have also been won to grant the German tactician immortality at Anfield.
#5 José Luis Mendilibar (Eibar) - June 2015 to date (5 years, seven months)
Jose Luis Mendilibar had a moderate playing career which saw him make over 500 career appearances without featuring for a La Liga club.
His managerial career has been more productive, with several spells undertaken at different Spanish clubs.
Having earlier managed Eibar for one year between 2004 and 2005, the Basque native returned to Ipurua to replace Gaikza Garitano as the club manager in June 2015.
He has since guided the Basque outfit to a club-record ninth place finish in La Liga as well as the quarterfinal in the 2016-2017 Copa del Rey (also the club's highest finish in the competition).
The 59-year-old has managed Eibar in over 230 matches, with a 31.76% win ratio recorded.
#4 Sean Dyche (Burnley) - October 2012 to present (8 years, 3 months)
Following a brief spell as Watford manager, Sean Dyche was appointed to the Burnley dugout in October 2012.
His first season on the Turf Moor bench saw him break several club records en-route to gaining promotion to the Premier League after a four-year hiatus. Their return, however, lasted just one season, as the Clarets suffered an immediate relegation.
Another promotion was gained at the end of the 2015-2016 EFL Championship season, and Burnley have remained in the top flight since then.
They have gained notoriety as one of the toughest clubs to break down, with Dyche molding his team into a physically fit and dominating side.
They secured European football for the first time in over 50 years, courtesy of their seventh-place finish in 2018.
#3 Christian Streich (Freiburg) - 29 December 2011 to present (9 years, one month)
Christian Streich is one of the greatest players in Freiburg's history. He played his way into the annals of the club during his six-year career with the side.
Following his retirement, he became assistant manager to Marcos Song at Freiburg but was promoted to the main role in December 2011 after the former's sacking.
Since then, he has enjoyed several highs and lows with the team. The club secured European qualification as well as a club-record semifinal appearance in the DFB Pokal.
Freiburg were, however, relegated at the end of the 2015-2016 season before gaining instant promotion by winning the Bundesliga 2.
Streich is one of the most admired managers within the German footballing circles, owing to his energetic personality and innovative tactics.
#2 Diego Simeone - 23 December 2011 to present (9 years, one month)
Diego Simeone is unarguably one of the most influential individuals in the history of Atletico Madrid following his exploits as both a player and manager.
He enjoyed a highly successful playing career that saw him win the biggest trophies and represent some of the best clubs in the world.
Simeone is one of a few men that have achieved success as both players and managers. His appointment at Atletico Madrid brought an instant transformation at the club, with Los Colchoneros going from also-rans in La Liga to bonafide European heavyweights.
While his style and tactics might not be the most pleasing, it cannot be debated that the Argentine is one of the best managers of his generation.
The 50-year-old's greatest managerial achievement to date came when he led an unfancied Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title in 2014, ending a 12-year drought.
Two appearances have also been made in the final of the UEFA Champions League, while major titles have been won elsewhere.
Simeone is one win away from surpassing the late great Luis Aragones' record for most wins in the club's history - in more than 100 games fewer.
#1 Stéphane Moulin (Angers) - June 2011 to present (11 years, seven months)
Stéphane Moulin has a history of lengthy managerial spells. He spent eight years in charge of Châtellerault and six in charge of Angers B before his promotion to the senior role in the summer of 2011.
He had represented the club for six years during his playing days and has since surpassed his playing legacy in the dugout.
The 53-year-old currently boasts a win ratio of 37.5% of the 400 matches he has overseen while in charge of Angers.
