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Europe is a hotbed of global football due to popular standards, players and managers, but the game outside the continent is just as exciting. While European football enjoys far more coverage and is globalized and marketed better, there is intense competition to be found in the four other continents.
Managers are the main cog in the wheel that differentiates between boring and exciting football. A good team can't be a good team if the manager is not good enough, irrespective of the squad.
While Europe has a host of great managers spread across different nations, there are few highly talented and skilled managers in the leagues and national teams outside Europe.
Non-European football involves a vast region including Asian football and African football, two continents with intense continental competitions. Along with those two lies the two Americas, which contain some of the hottest rivalries like the Boca-River Plate and the hotly contested Brazilian Serie A.
Without further delay, let's rank the five best managers outside Europe right now:
#5 Gerardo Martino
Gerardo Martino started as an upcoming manager outside Europe when he took charge of Paraguay, whom he led to the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarters. Before the Paraguayan national team job, Martino had managed a few clubs of a lower profile. Matino's major club success came at Newell's Old Boys, where he took charge in 2011.
His impressive management resulted in a top-flight promotion followed by a series of great performances, including reaching the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores.
It was his success with the Argentine club that landed him the role in the Barcelona job. Martino started brightly and became the first manager in Barcelona's history not to lose a single game in their first 16 matches.
However, after losing the league on the final day, Martino resigned after just one year without winning a major trophy.
Post Barcelona, Martino had spells with Argentina and MLS club Atlanta United. He is currently the manager of the Mexican national team, and his teams are known to play a highly offensive-minded football that is attractive to watch.
Martino won the South American Coach of the Year in 2007 and several Paraguayan league titles. However, he has been on the losing side of important finals several times.
#4 Pitso Mosimane
Pitso Mosimane is one of the top managers outside Europe and is a decorated name in African Football. Starting as an under-11s coach, the South African coach became renowned for his spell at Mamelodi Sundowns.
Apart from the South African first division titles, Mosimane's moment of calling came in 2016 when, under him, the Sundowns became only the second South African club to win the CAF Champions League. Mosimane was also nominated as the 10th best coach in world football by IFFHS.
Mosimane started managing Egyptian club Al-Ahly in September 2020. It took only two months for Mosimane to be crowned the African champion with the Egyptian club, and he repeated the feat the following campaign as well.
Mosimane was awarded the best African manager on two occasions, most recently being in 2021. With several other trophies, Mosimane is one of the best managers outside Europe at the moment.
#3 Leonardo Jardim
Leonardo Jardim is a manager of pedigree who has achieved success in Europe but is now one of the top managers outside the continent. The Portuguese manager rose to prominence with Monaco in France, where he achieved remarkable results.
Jardim started at Braga and then continued at Olympiacos, but he left both clubs amidst much controversy.
Before Monaco, Jardim had a brief spell at Sporting Lisbon, but it was at Monaco that he won major honors. Jardim secured Champions League football for the first two seasons as Monaco finished third.
He achieved the unthinkable by winning the Ligue 1 in 2016-17, Monaco's first title, in 17 years. Monaco also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League that season and the finals of the domestic cups.
Jardim was unable to replicate the success of that season and is currently managing at Saudi club Al-Hilal, where he joined in the summer of 2021. Notably, has now added the prestigious Asian Champions League trophy to his cabinet.
Despite the limited success, Jardim is still one of the best managers outside Europe at the moment.
#2 Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc is arguably the most recognizable name on this list. As a footballer, Blanc has won major honors for both club and country and is one of the most respected managers in football.
Blanc started his managerial career on a high note at Bordeaux, where he helped the club to second position and won manager of the year. It was followed by a trophy-laden period with Bordeaux. A mixed spell as French national team coach was followed by a successful spell at PSG.
Blanc won three league titles and eight domestic cups in a very successful period for himself and was one of the founding pillars of modern PSG sides.
Even though Blanc's PSG played an attractive brand of football, the team's inability to reach the finals of the Champions League was a major reason for his departure.
As manager of Al-Rayyan in Qatar, Blanc is one of the most decorated and best managers outside Europe presently.
#1 Marcelo Gallardo
If there is one hot property among managers outside Europe, Marcelo Gallardo will be the person. Known for playing attractive, attacking football, Gallardo has transformed the dynamics of Argentine football and orchestrated the rise of River Plate as the dominant side in recent times.
Gallardo was instrumental in Nacional winning the Uruguayan Primera Division before taking on the reigns at River Plate.
Strangely enough, Gallardo has only won one league title as a manager with the Argentine club, which was as recent as in 2021. However, it is the cup tournaments where his tactical acumen is truly seen.
Gallardo's reign started with a Sudamericana in 2014. It was followed by a couple of Copa Libertadores and three Recopa Sudamericana.
In the domestic lands, River Plate won the Argentine Super Cup twice and the Argentine cup thrice.
Gallardo is among the very best managers outside Europe with a heavy blend of beautiful football and titles. He has been sought after by European clubs as well in recent times.
