The new season is just weeks away and teams are gearing up to go once again. Across the continent, pre-season friendlies are the current order of business as well as any potential transfer dealings. Along with players, there have been a fair few managers on the move. Here are the top 10 European football managers to watch this season!
Top 10 European Football Managers To Keep an Eye on This Season
Brendan Rodgers
Kicking things off in England, it was a shaky season last time out for Brendan Rodgers. Having established himself as a well-loved figure in Leicester City, they seemed to hit a stumbling block. To make matters worse, at the time of writing, they are the only Premier League club yet to make a signing. Youri Tielemans could well be off, injuries are rife in the backline and there is yet to be anyone to fill the Jamie Vardy-sized void. The Northern Irishman will be under a lot of scrutiny next season, hence he is one of the managers to watch.
Jesse Marsch
Leeds United had their own struggles last term and their summer window has been a hectic one; Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips have moved on to pastures new and Marc Roca, Luis Sinisterra and Tyler Adams need to settle in quickly. Jesse Marsch had the tough job of taking over from Marcelo Bielsa last year, a true cult hero at Elland Road. The American kept them in the division and the powers that be will be hoping he can do this once again.
Steve Bruce
Dropping down to the second tier of English football and writing about Steve Bruce in this way seems like a rarity. He is no longer in the spotlight in the same way but West Brom are still a big club. It was predicted that they would get promoted back to the top-flight instantly but they could only muster a mid-table finish. Can the wily old statesman take the Baggies back up?
The boss’s first game at The Hawthorns. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/iyeShkbETU
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) February 14, 2022
Michael Appleton
Michael Appleton has long since impressed in the lower reaches of the EFL. Following Neil Critchley’s move to Aston Villa, Appleton is now in the Championship with Blackpool as Critchley’s replacement. Some of his best work came with Lincoln City and Oxford United and now has a chance to cut his teeth at the next level. Blackpool are trending in the right direction and Appleton is a very enticing appointment, so he is certainly among the managers to watch.
Julen Lopetegui
Moving over to Spain and Julen Lopetegui was first flagged up when it comes to managers to watch due to his imminent departure. Everything seemed to point towards his time with Sevilla having passed its expiration date. Talks took place between the former Real Madrid boss and Monchi though and things are back on track at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Losing Diego Carlos is a blow and Jules Kounde may well follow so he will have a tough job on his hands.
Ernesto Valverde
From a former Real Madrid man to a former Barcelona man in the form of Ernesto Valverde. Following his departure from Camp Nou in the January of 2020, he has been without a job, until now. He is back on familiar territory with his beloved Athletic Club. He played 170 times in Bilbao, was an assistant there and has been the manager twice before. They won the delayed Supercopa de Espana, beating Barcelona in the final thanks to an extra-time strike from Inaki Williams. This was only their second trophy since 1984 but they are certainly heading in the right direction and Valverde is joining an exciting project in the Basque country.
Vincenzo Italiano
Now to Italy and after a fascinating battle at all levels, the Serie A promises to be tantalising once again. There is a title race on as well as a battle for the European qualification spots. Roma and Lazio finished just one and two points ahead of Fiorentina last term, in spite of the departure of Dusan Vlahovic. Vincenzo Italiano did well at Spezia and has continued that in Florence. Krzysztof Piatek and Arthur Cabral are two of the players tasked with replacing Vlahovic. Luka Jovic has also now signed for the club. The ex-Real Madrid man scored four goals in a recent friendly!
Jose Mourinho
Roma were the team to pip Fiorentina to that Europa League spot. The Giallorossi also created history as they became the first team ever to lift the Conference League trophy. Jose Mourinho had an up-and-down first year in the Eternal City and he is certainly one of the managers to watch on Italian shores this term. The signing of Paulo Dybala is fascinating as Roma try to push themselves into the top four conversation under Jose.
Niko Kovac
Penultimately now to Germany and after a managerial merry-go-round last summer, this one has been more relaxed. But Mark van Bommel with Wolfsburg was one of the names to flounder. It didn’t take long for the club to replace him with Florian Kohfeldt who himself was shown the door come the end of the season. Niko Kovac has a very big job on his hands but having managed the likes of Bayern Munich and Monaco, it won’t be a foreign experience for him.
Christophe Galtier
The final of the managers to watch for this coming season is another new appointment. After winning the Ligue 1 title with Lille, Christophe Galtier’s move to Nice came as somewhat of a surprise. He made some good signings and put together another good campaign. Paris Saint- Germain came calling next and it was a job too lucrative to turn down. Galtier doesn’t fit their usual superstar mould but that could be exactly what the French giants need. He has already sent a fierce warning towards the big names, even Neymar.
⚽️🔛 A new coach and a new season! 💪 pic.twitter.com/aJiVcaIYyj
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) July 6, 2022
