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The 2010s saw Spanish and German managers firmly establish themselves as the most successful coaches in club football. The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Hansi Flick have led their teams to domestic and continental glory in recent years.
This is in stark contrast to the second half of the 20th century when British coaches reigned supreme and were regarded as the sport's sharpest minds. Ironically, the best example of this shift is English football's very own Premier League.
In 1997-98, Arsenal's Arsene Wenger became the first non-British manager to lead his team to an English top-flight title. In the 24 years since then, 15 overseas coaches have led their teams to league wins in the competition.
In fact, the other nine league editions went to Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, who is the only British manager to have won the league in the last quarter of a century.
Sir Alex Ferguson was arguably the last elite British manager
Unlike their Spanish, Italian and German counterparts, British coaches tend to restrict themselves to jobs in the United Kingdom. The few recent cases in which they ventured abroad - Gary Neville at Valencia and David Moyes at Real Sociedad - were complete disasters.
British tacticains' stock reached a low in the early 2000s when Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello led the English national team. The Three Lions have traditionally employed the services of homegrown coaches, and it was a sign of the changing times.
In the past, British coaches such as Sir Bobby Robson, who managed PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Barcelona, made their mark across Europe. Those days, though, are long gone. On that note, here's a look at the five greatest British managers of all time.
Honourable mentions: Sir Alf Ramsey - England's only World Cup-winning coach (1966), who also led Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town to First Division league titles.
Sir Matt Busby - The Manchester United great who built the 'Busby Babes'. Despite losing most of his squad in the horrific 1958 Munich air disaster, he rebuilt the squad and led the Red Devils to a European Cup win.
#5 Jock Stein
Jock Stein and Celtic famously became the first-ever British manager and club to win the European Cup by beating Inter Milan in the final of the 1967 edition. Under his tutelage, Celtic dominated Scottish football, winning nine straight league titles, from 1965 to 1974.
Stein inspired generations of Celtic greats, including Kenny Dalglish, who would later go on to become one of the greatest figures in British football history. Jock Stein managed over 1000 games, in which he registered a stunning win percentage of 63.
#4 Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly is credited with laying the foundation for Liverpool's eventual dominance of English football in the 1970s and 1980s.
Although Bob Paisley is considered to be the Reds' greatest manager, it was Shankly who brought the club up from the Second Division to top-flight glory. Under Shankly, the Reds won four First Division titles, three FA Cups and the 1973 FA Cup.
Shankly is also fondly remembered by Liverpool fans for his bold statements, the most famous of which was a dig at arch-rivals Everton:
"There are only two teams on Merseyside: Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves."
#3 Brian Clough
Brian Clough is widely acknowledged as 'the greatest manager England never had' and one of football's revolutionary geniuses. He first made his name as a terrific goalscorer during his playing career, netting over 250 goals with Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
Clough's methods as manager were unorthodox at the time, but were undeniably effective. His unbelievable achievements were straight out of a video game. Clough took Derby County on a fairy-tale rise from the Second Division to the top-flight title. He then repeated the trick with Nottingham Forest, and went one step further by leading them to successive European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980.
Clough's remarkable success was punctuated by unpredictable failures, though. For instance, his time at Nottingham Forest ended in relegation. He was also sacked by Leeds United after just 44 days. However, the maverick manager's greatness will live forever in the hearts of Rams and Forest fans.
#2 Bob Paisley
The greatest manager in Liverpool history, Bob Paisley had a stint at Merseyside that saw the Reds establish themselves as the biggest and best club in English football. Quiet and dignified, Paisley introduced an elegant brand of football that led Liverpool to three European Cup triumphs in five years (1977-1981).
His time with the club also saw the Reds win six league titles in ten years, between 1975-85, along with three successive League Cups. By the end of Paisley's nine-year spell as Liverpool head coach, he had won an incredible tally of 20 trophies.
Paisley set a high bar at the Reds, and once jokingly remarked:
"Mind you, I wasn't here for the good times! I've been here during the bad times too - one year we came second."
#1 Sir Alex Ferguson
With 49 trophies in a coaching career that spanned nearly four decades, Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the greatest manager in football history. With clubs changing managers more frequently than ever before, Ferguson's 26-year spell at Manchester United appears even more impressive.
Despite being best known as a Red Devils legend, Ferguson was a successful manager even before his arrival in Manchester. He made his name at Aberdeen, where he won three league titles in Scotland, breaking the 15-year duopoly of Rangers and Celtic in the process. He also led Aberdeen to success in Europe, winning the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
At Old Trafford, Ferguson helped Manchester United end Liverpool's stranglehold on English football. The Red Devils' won an astonishing 13 league titles under the Scot, and two Champions League titles.
A strict disciplinarian, Ferguson was responsible for United becoming the most popular football club in the world. It is telling that the Red Devils have failed to win the Premier League or the Champions League since the retirement of their legendary manager in 2013.
