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Skilled players are crucial to the success of any football club. However, a good manager is required to bring the squad members together so as to function as a cohesive and well-oiled unit.
Not surprisingly, the manager has become as crucial a component in the game of football as the players themselves. He is entrusted with getting the best out of the players that he has at his disposal.
The likes of Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho have earned widespread plaudits for their massive influence at the clubs they’ve managed. However, some managers have flown under the radar despite having impressive resumes.
Today, we rank the five most underrated managers in world football today:
#5 Vladimir Petkovic
Vladimir Petkovic has one of the most inspirational stories in the world of football, as he was a migrant and a social worker-turned football manager.
The Bosnian led the Swiss national team to the Euro 2020 quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by Spain in a penalty shootout. Petkovic also masterminded Switzerland’s unlikely triumph over World Cup champions France in the Round of 16. The event also marked a historic moment for Swiss football. For the first time since the 1954 World Cup, the country had made it to the quarterfinal stage of a major tournament.
During the press conference following Switzerland’s win against the world champions, Granit Xhaka gave his Man of the Match trophy to Petkovic. During his seven-year spell at the helm of the Swiss national team, Petkovic ensured Rossocrociati’s qualification to the finals of every competition it entered.
#4 Gian Piero Gasperini
Gian Piero Gasperini has played a critical role in Atalanta’s rise to prominence in Italian and European football. La Dea is now regarded as one of the most exciting and entertaining outfits on the continent. But things were drastically different when Gasperini arrived at the club in 2016.
Atalanta's main objective at the time of the Italian manager's arrival was to avoid the drop down to Serie B. They came nowhere near relegation during his debut season as they finished fourth in the table, ahead of Inter Milan and AC Milan. Since his appointment, Atalanta has finished in the top four on four occasions in his five seasons at the club.
The Goddess has also become a threat to the traditionally “bigger” teams in Europe. Gasperini led Atalanta to their first-ever appearance in Champions League and Europa League football.
#3 Adi Hutter
The former Austrian international is currently one of the most underrated managers in Europe, despite a stellar 2020-21 campaign with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Adi Hutter was appointed as the manager of Frankfurt in the summer of 2018 and was immensely successful in his inaugural season. Despite a slow start, the 51-year old guided the Frankfurt outfit to the 2018-19 Europa League semifinals. The Eagles took apart Inter Milan, Benfica, Lazio and Shakhtar Donetsk on their way to the semis and just narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot. Frankfurt were just four points off fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2018-19 Bundesliga campaign.
He previously led the Young Boys to their first Swiss Super League title since 1986. Hutter also won a domestic double with RB Salzburg during his season-long stay at the club.
The Austrian was recently appointed as the manager of Borussia Monchengladbach after guiding Frankfurt to a fifth-place finish in the 2020-21 Bundesliga campaign. The Eagles were just one point off the Champions League positions.
#2 Christophe Galtier
Last season, Christophe Galtier managed to pull off the improbable when he led Lille to their first Ligue 1 title in a decade, leaving the likes of PSG and Monaco in their wake.
The Frenchman took over the reins at Lille from current Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa in 2017. After just six months at the club, Galtier devised their escape from relegation in the 2017-18 Ligue 1 campaign. He extended the excellent work in the following campaigns, as Lille finished second and fourth in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons respectively.
2020-21 was a season to remember for everyone associated with Les Dogues, as the club from the north of France pipped the Parisians to the Ligue 1 title by just one point. Galtier parted ways with Lille at the beginning of the 2021-22 season and is currently the manager of Nice. No doubt he'll be hoping to pick up where he left off and replicate some of that same success with the Eaglets.
The Frenchman was at the helm of Lille for 152 matches, generating an average of 1.74 points per match. Galtier will surely be missed by Les Dogues faithful.
#1 Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is one of the greatest midfielders the United Kingdom has ever produced and he continues to excel in his role on the sidelines.
The Liverpool legend was appointed manager of Scottish club Rangers FC in June of 2018. This was Gerrard’s first appointment as the manager of a senior team following his coaching stints at Liverpool’s youth sides. In his debut season, the Englishman guided the Teddy Bears to a second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership, finishing just nine points off Celtic.
The Celts have been the most dominant club in the Premiership over the past decade, winning nine consecutive league titles. Gerrard applied his brilliant football acumen and years of experience to finally put an end to Celtic’s domination of Scottish football. And when the Gers won the 2020-21 Premiership, it was their first in a decade.
Rangers were emphatic in their manner of victory as they sealed the title in March with six games remaining. In 38 matches, Gerrard’s men accumulated 102 points and did not lose a single game in the Premiership campaign.
The Englishman did a wonderful job with the Rangers defenders as they looked extraordinarily well-oiled and in shipshape. They conceded a meager 13 goals during the 2020-21 Premiership.
The Light Blues also topped their group in the 2020-21 Europa League campaign without dropping a single match. In his young managerial career, Gerrard has showcased his world-class pedigree both on and off the pitch.
