Top 5 Italian managers to have featured in the Premier League

Italian football was at the peak of the footballing world in the 80's and 90's, the decline in the overall quality of football in the recent years has been a sad story really. But that does not mean the style of play has changed.

Italian teams are still known for their tactical and organized play. And Italian teams tend to be especially organized and solid at the back. And a lot of credit for such style of play is given to the managers of the clubs. And over the years Serie A has produced some of the finest managers of the game.

The fact that Italian managers have won the UEFA Champions League more times than managers from any other nation, is a testament to their quality and class.

So, here's a list of 5 of the best Italian managers to have managed a Premier League club or are currently managing one.

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#5 Maurizio Sarri

Under Sarri Chelsea are yet to be defeated in the league

We will start with the latest Italian to join this list, Maurizio Sarri. Sarri joined Chelsea this season, after series of brilliant performances by Napoli, in the last two seasons.

He is a manager of proven ability, with highlights of his resume being his efforts to seal promotion for Empoli in his second season itself and back-to-back Champions league qualification for Napoli. He was voted league's coach of the year in 2017. In his last two seasons with Napoli, he helped them secure the title of "Campioni d'Inverno" or Winter champions.

Even after losing out record goal-scorer Higuain to Juventus, he managed to turn the team from Naples into an efficient attacking force.

Let's hope he can do the same with the Blues, who would like to be back in the Champions League next season.

#4 Antonio Conte

Conte won the Premier League title with Chelsea in his first season in charge

A Champions League winner with Juventus, as a player and Serie A champion as a manager for the same, Antonio Conte, is a well-known name in Europe today.

Without a doubt, taking over the Chelsea team and winning the league title in his first season in charge, is always going to be his career highlight. Not many managers can claim to match his achievement.

Conte started his managerial career with Arezzo, but it was when he helped Bari earn a promotion into Serie A, that he came into limelight. It was when he joined Juventus as a manager, that his real managerial abilities were showcased.

Not only did he won the league in his first season in charge, he did so while Juventus remained unbeaten for the 2011-12 season.

With two titles in two seasons with Chelsea, it can be said that Conte, who brought the innovative 3-5-2 formation in Premier League is one of the best managers to have come into the PL from Serie A.

#3 Roberto Mancini

Mancini is currently managing the Italian team at the UEFA Nations League

The current Italy manager spent three and a half seasons with the Manchester City side and led them to their first league title since 1968, in the 2011-12 season.

Mancini won the Serie A, first as a player with Sampdoria and then as a manager with Inter Milan. During his four-year stint, Inter became not only a dominant force in Italy but in the European football too.

After a fruitful spell as a manager in Serie A, he joined City, in December 2009. And since 2010, under him City had qualified for Champions League in all the season he was in charge.

He managed to win almost all the major trophies English football has to offer with City, the League title, FA Cup and the Community Shield too.

So, he was one of the best Italian managers of the Premier League era for sure.

#2 Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti was the first Italian to win the Premier League title as a manager

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most decorated managers of the current era. Having managed some of the best teams in the world and has won the Champions League on three separate occasions with two different teams.

He is the third manager in our list to have managed Chelsea at some point of time. We'll come to that later, let's start with his initial days as manager.

He started out with Serie B team Reggiana and helped them secure promotion in his first season itself, in 1995. But he shot to fame in 1999 when he was announced as the manager for Juventus, though his spell there was not that fruitful.

He managed the AC Milan team when they were in their prime. In the eight-year spell as the manager AC Milan won the Serie A once, Champions League twice and Coppa Italia once. It was after this spell that Chelsea came calling.

He joined in the 2009-10 season and by the time he left, Chelsea had won the EPL title once, FA Cup once and the Community shield once. So, this list wouldn't have been complete without mentioning this eyebrow-raising Italian.

#1 Claudio Ranieri

Ranieri managed Chelsea for 4 years till 2004, before returning to the league with Leicester in 2015

The man who beat the 5000-1 odds and took Leicester City on a fairytale campaign in the 2015-16 season has to be in this list.

Unlike, other managers in this list he didn't start his professional managerial career in the Serie B, but in the Serie C, with Cagliari, who are Serie A regulars now. Though he did manage S.S.D. Puteolana 1902, for a year, it was his stint with Cagliari that got his career started.

After spells in Spain, he was appointed Chelsea manager in 2000. It was his first taste of the English football.

Even after four seasons he failed to win any major silverware and was thus relieved of his duties in 2004. And it was after 11 years and stints in Spain, Italy, Greece that he finally returned to Premier League in 2015.

This season saw the Foxes winning the league title for the first time in their history, also saw Ranieri winning The Best FIFA Men's coach award, Premier League Manager of the season award for the 2015-16 season.

Though he was fired midway through the next season, he is one the best Italian managers to have won the Premier League, that too with the underdogs Leicester City.