The 5 best Football manager-coach duos of this season

The two have completely revolutionised Manchester City
The two have completely revolutionised Manchester City

Managers can never take their team to a piece of silverware singlehandedly, but with a team of an experienced coaching staff who have been credited as being the 'brains' behind a team's success.

A club can only function when the entire squad works together in order to deliver. Training their squad to the limit with the help of the right coaches is what really makes a difference, after all, it is them who forge the players.

The best coaches are always in Europe, and they have never done anything alone, as, with the help of their assistant coach, the duo have been able to achieve the kind of heights that no one can imagine.

Five managers and their assistant coaches have made a name for themselves by working together and delivering in some of the most difficult competitions in all of the continent.

While the head coach takes care of the club, the assistant coach makes sure the tactics are all up to date.


#5 Jurgen Klopp and Zeljko Buvac (Liverpool)

17 years and not apart!
17 years and not apart!

The Bosnian-Serb has held his alliance with Jurgen Klopp for as long as 17 years and still continues to keep tabs with him.

He is often considered as the 'brain' of the entire tactical system that Klopp has laid out with both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.

With Liverpool, the duo has stepped up and flipped the way things worked at the Anfield by introducing counter-attacking football and strengthening the flanks, allowing midfielders to be a part of the attack.

Buvac had his issues with Klopp right before the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season, and it did look as if the two are going to separate once and for all.

However, speculations aside, the two have formed an alliance once again and are going strong this season. The duo is surely one of the best coaching personnel in all of Europe.

#4 Didier Deschamps and Guy Stephan (France)

The world cup winning duo.
The world cup winning duo.

Didier Deschamp's appointment as the head coach of the French football team has been a revelation since 2012, as he was able to completely resurrect the national squad, taking them all the way to the Euro 2016 finals and winning the FIFA World Cup two years later.

However, he hasn't been able to do it all on his own, as with the help of his former Marseille colleague and assistant manager Guy Stephan, the duo was able to do more to French football than expected.

From focusing on the development of youth and forging the likes of Paul Pogba and Antoine Greizmann, Deschamps and Stephan haven't fallen apart in any means.

While Stephan lays down the tactical suggestions, it is Deschamps who executes it and makes sure that the job gets done.

Opportunities are what French football is really about, and every single player has had it, thanks to the duo!

#3 Diego Simeone and German Burgos (Atletico Madrid)

The two have won multiple titles together
The two have won multiple titles together

In the past decade or so, Atleti has seen a revolution in terms of becoming one of the most feared teams in all of Europe.

The credit does not just go to the kind of deep squad they have, but also to the coaching staff who have made sure that their team plays with consistency.

Diego Simeone may have had his disciplinary issues, but that cannot change the fact that he has given his team more than what they are capable of, be it the Europa League titles or the two Champions League finals.

However, truth be told, his accomplishments have been a result of the mind games laid on by his partner-in-crime German Burgos.

Big Burgos was appointed in 2011 as the assistant manager and has been what we call as the 'control room' of the Atletico Madrid side.

Whenever Simeone has faced any sort of ban, Burgos has been there to take command and is a man one can rely upon. Together, the two have developed one of the best defences in all of Europe that is often considered as 'unbreachable'.

#2 Ernesto Valverde and Jon Aspiazu (FC Barcelona)

One of the best coaching duo in all of Europe?
One of the best coaching duo in all of Europe?

The two have managed Athletic Bilbao in the past, working together in order to build one of the most underrated teams in all of Spain and Europe.

While Valverde departed for Barcelona in 2017, Juan Carlos Unzue, who was the assistant coach under Luis Enrique for three years left the club almost immediately. With his departure, Valverde introduced his former chieftain, Jon Aspiazu.

The two have bought back depth to the current Barcelona lineup after they were able to secure a league double in their last season relapsing from one of the worst seasons Barcelona ever experienced in 2016/17.

Yet again, this season has proven to be an extremely important one for the two, as their ongoing La Liga and Champions League run is a reflection of their tactical planning and the hard-hitting training sessions the players have to get through in order to become the best.

#1 Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta (Manchester City)

Guardiola and Arteta has made City one of the most dangerous teams in all of Europe
Guardiola and Arteta has made City one of the most dangerous teams in all of Europe

While Brian Kidd is the main man to look forward to as the assistant manager of Manchester City, Mikel Arteta's arrival has proven to be a plus point for Guardiola.

A man who understands how the current generation of football functions and has played amongst them is what Guardiola really needed.

The duo has been able to plan out one of the best attacks in all of Europe, making Manchester City once again the contenders for the Premier League title this season.

Working closely with Kidd, Arteta, and Guardiola can make Manchester City a team like none other.

His leadership qualities as a former Arsenal player has been very useful at the Etihad, as in the absence of Guardiola, Arteta has taken up the reins on multiple occasions.

While Manchester City rises up through the ranks, Arteta can surely become a possible future replacement for Pep Guardiola.

Quick Links

Edited by Alan John