Ranking the top 5 managers since the turn of the century
Managers are the most important members at any football club, as they're held responsible for the success and the failure of the club. Several great managers in the past have surprised us with their way of running the club, and have inspired the modern day managers. Managers like Bill Shankly, Brian Clough, Johan Cruyff, Bob Paisley, Matt Busby, Alex Ferguson, and Rinus Michels have tasted huge success in the past. We take a look at the top 5 managers since the turn of the century, who have tasted similar success.
#1 Jose Mourinho
The ‘special one’ is undoubtedly the most successful manager of the century. Jose Mourinho began his managerial career at Benfica, but left for Uniao de Leira in three months. At Uniao de Leira, Mourinho surprised everyone as his team finished 5th in Primeira Liga. He started to make a name for himself, and then came an offer from Portuguese giants Porto, with whom Mourinho won every possible trophy. At Porto, Mourinho made his team play high pressing football, as they won the league, Taça de Portugal and the UEFA Cup in his first year itself. That was just the beginning for Mourinho. Next season not only did he win the league again, but his team also won the Champions League, which without a doubt is the biggest achievement in his career till now.
After winning all he could at Porto, Mourinho joined Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, this time to conquer the biggest league in the world. In his first spell at Chelsea, Mourinho won the Premier League twice, League Cup twice, and the FA Cup. In 2008, Mourinho left Chelsea to join Inter Milan, and once again won the league in the first season at Inter. It didn’t take him long to write history at Inter, as he won the Champions League once again in his second season.
After just two seasons at Inter, Mourinho was again looking for a new adventure, and just then Europe’s biggest club Real Madrid came calling, and he couldn’t resist. He spent three seasons at Real Madrid, but this time he wasn’t as successful. Mourinho won the La Liga once and the Copa del Rey, and he left the Spanish giants in 2013 to rejoin Chelsea. This time, the pressure was huge on Mourinho, and he did deliver. In his second season, Mourinho won the Premier League and the Capital One Cup, before getting sacked midway in the third season. All in all, Mourinho has won 22 major titles, which is more than any other manager in Europe’s top 5 leagues since 2000. He is indeed “The Special One.”