The top five highest paid soccer coaches in the world today earn nearly £100m per year combined between them, with the top earner accounting for £30m of that!
Indeed, their wages are higher than some of the best footballers in the world, showing just how important their job is in getting their players to perform to the best of their abilities on the pitch. There are some top managers currently out of work as well, who would be expected to earn close to the salaries being quoted if they were in a job.
Nonetheless, here are the top five reportedly highest paid soccer coaches in the world at the moment…
Highest paid soccer coaches in the world: The top 5
5. Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) – £9.6m
It is certainly not a surprise to see Carlo Ancelotti make the list, given that he manages arguably the biggest club in world football in Real Madrid. The Italian guided Los Blancos to the La Liga and UEFA Champions League title last season, and has now won the latter five times as a head coach, three times with Madrid and twice with AC Milan.
Ancelotti has also won league titles in England with Chelsea, in France with Paris Saint-Germain and in Germany with Bayern Munich, making him one of the most successful and well-respected managers of all time.
4. Steven Gerrard (Al-Ettifaq) – £15.2m
Fourth on our list is a manager who has not been nearly as successful as Ancelotti, but had a glittering player career in Steven Gerrard. The Englishman currently manages Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, now one of the richest leagues in world football.
He has not won any major trophies in Saudi Arabia so far, but Gerrard did win the Scottish Premiership title with Glasgow Rangers ahead of fierce rivals Celtic in the 2020/21 season, earning him a move to the Premier League with Aston Villa. It did not quite work out for him in his home country in the end, but Gerrard will be hoping to rejuvenate his managerial career with Al-Ettifaq.
3. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) – £20m
Arguably the greatest manager in the world at this moment in time, Pep Guardiola comes in third. He guided Manchester City to an unprecedented treble in the 2022/23 campaign, before winning the Premier League title for an unmatched fourth time in a row last term.
The Spaniard has also won the UEFA Champions League twice with FC Barcelona, and numerous league titles with both them and Bayern Munich. Guardiola revolutionised football with his modern tactics of using ball-playing goalkeepers and inverted full-backs among others, and when he retires, he will perhaps go down as the greatest manager to have ever lived.
2. Roberto Mancini (Saudi Arabia) – £21m
The managers that have been mentioned so far have all been at club level, but the highest earning international manager comes in the form of Roberto Mancini. The Italian took the role of managing the Saudi Arabia national team in August 2023.
Before this, he was also the manager of his native Italy, and helped them win the 2020 UEFA European Championship. At club level, he famously guided Manchester City to a very late Premier League title win ahead of bitter rivals Manchester United in the 2011/12 season, and also won three consecutive Serie A titles with Inter Milan during his time there.
1. Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid) – £30m
Diego Simeone is regarded as an absolute legend at Atletico Madrid, and so it is not a surprise to see him top this list as the highest paid soccer coach in the world today. Indeed, he earns a whopping £30m a year in Madrid, which is more than Guardiola and Ancelotti combined at their respective clubs!
The Argentine has won plenty of domestic silverware at Atletico, but the one trophy that still eludes him is the Champions League, despite coming close in multiple finals. Nonetheless, he has still won the UEFA Europa League twice, and also prized two La Liga titles away from both Barcelona and city rivals Real.
