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The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League is set to get underway with the group stage commencing on Tuesday, September 6. The competition brings together the best footballers and managers in the world, uniting them to compete for the most illustrious trophy in club football.
Just as players regard playing in the competition as very important, managers also regard leading their team in the Champions League as an honor. Last season's winning manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was voted the UEFA Men's 'Coach of the Year' for 2022, a testament to the importance of the competition.
Several new faces will stand a chance of leading their team to glory in the competition and making a name for themselves. These managers will look to make waves in their first campaign in the competition. Without further ado, here is a list of five managers in their first full spell in the Champions League this season.
#5 Ange Postecoglou (Celtic)
Celtic had just lost the Scottish league title to Steven Gerrard and his Rangers side when they began their search for a new coach. English managers Eddie Howe and Frank Lampard were among the names penciled in for the job, but neither of them was appointed. Instead, the club went for the lesser-known Ange Postecoglou, drawing the ire of its fans.
Postecoglou became the club's manager in June 2021 and by May 2022, held the league trophy aloft with his players. The Australian manager also managed to get Celtic into the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since 2017. Postecoglou's side play with a swagger and a level of quality that is clearly above the rest of Scotland. He will be keen to take those qualities into his maiden Champions League campaign.
Postecoglou holds a number of personal records after his achievements over the past 12 months. He is the first Australian to manage a club in Europe, and also the first to win a trophy as manager of a European club.
#4 Alfred Schreuder (Ajax)
Speaking of managers who have enormous shoes to fill, Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder easily falls into the category. The widely-travelled manager was appointed by Ajax to replace Erik ten Hag after he was signed by Manchester United.
Schreuder has extensive experience working in Europe, having managed Club Brugge and Hoffenheim. He has also worked as an assistant to Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona in the past. He has been at Ajax in the past too, working as an assistant to Ten Hag in 2018.
He was not in charge of Club Brugge when they featured in the Champions League in 2021-22, but will now look to make his mark in the competition.
Schreuder led his former employers to glory in the Belgian Jupiler League before returning to Ajax. He is now expected to emulate the success of Ten Hag at the club, including his Champions League exploits.
#3 Igor Tudor (Olympique Marseille)
Olympique Marseille manager Igor Tudor will have the job of helping his side go as deep as possible in this season's Champions League. The Croatian manager was appointed after a season in charge of Italian club Hellas Verona.
Tudor replaced former Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli as manager of Marseille over the summer. He will be tasked with repeating the side's performances from 2021-22 when they finished second in Ligue 1 under the Argentine.
Tudor will have his first experience as a head coach in the Champions League with Marseille, and has made some shrewd signings to that effect. This summer's transfer window has seen the likes of Eric Bailly, Alexis Sanchez, Pau Lopez and Matteo Guendozi, among others, join the club.
Tudor has worked for several club sides in his career so far but has taken on the biggest job of his career so far. After spells in charge of Galatasaray and Udinese, and one as an assistant to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus, he will lead a top European side of his own. With players like Sanchez and Dimitri Payet at his disposal, he should enjoy a good spell at the club.
#2 Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Rangers)
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was appointed by Rangers on the back of a title-winning campaign under the tutelage of Steven Gerrard. The Dutchman assumed duty at the club with the hopes of retaining their league crown, but could not manage the feat. Instead, he helped the club achieve success through other means.
Van Bronckhorst led Rangers to the final of the UEFA Europa League in his first season at the club. He also did what Gerrard failed to do by leading his side into the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2010. .
To reach the group stage, he had to defeat former national teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy in the final round of the qualifiers. He showed his astuteness as a manager to defeat Van Nistelrooy's PSV Eindhoven.
Van Bronckhorst may not be regarded as one of Europe's top managers yet, but with what he has done at Rangers, he is expected to reach that level soon. His first Champions League campaign with the club will give him a chance to show why he deserves to be in the conversation as an elite tactician.
#1 Xavi (Barcelona)
Xavi was appointed as Barcelona's manager in November 2021. At the time, his side's Champions League campaign was all but over after a disastrous start.
With the team almost certain to fail to progress from the group stage, Xavi took charge of its two final group matches in 2021-22. His side failed to qualify for the last 16, dropping to the Europa League instead.
Xavi has managed to assemble some of Europe's finest players this season despite his club seemingly being in a financial crisis. Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Franck Kessie are some of the big names to join the Catalan club.
The Spanish manager has seen signs of what may be to come from his players in how they started their domestic season. The Blaugrana are second in the domestic table and are yet to taste defeat after four games.
He led Barcelona to finish the 2021-22 La Liga season in second place and will be hoping for more success and silverware this season.
Xavi has implemented a similar playing pattern to what Pep Guardiola brought to Barcelona, causing comparisons to be made between the duo. The 2010 World Cup winner will now be hopeful of making a statement by getting Barcelona to make a run deep into the continental tournament.
