Seven top young coaches to watch in European football

Although most elite clubs generally look for a promising head coach or manager whenever a position becomes available, the majority end up choosing someone in their 40s or 50s.

The tendency to seek experience is certainly widespread among major European clubs: Carlo Ancelotti (64) is in his second spell at Real Madrid, while Max Allegri (56, Juventus), Stefano Pioli (57, AC Milan) and Jose Mourinho (60, Roma) all have a lot of us. Elsewhere, even names like Mauricio Pochettino (51, Chelsea), Diego Simeone (53, Atletico Madrid) and Erik ten Hag (53, Man United), still considered on the rise, are over 50.

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Excluding the English Premier League, ESPN takes a look at seven head coaches aged 45 or under in European football who have already been backed to lead a top club, and those who could be first in line for the next opportunity.

Candidates such as Xavi (43, Barcelona), Julian Nagelsmann (36, Germany), Roberto De Zerbi (44, Brighton) and Ruben Amorim (38, Sporting CP) were featured in this article in 2020 or 2022 and are for this reason not included.

Xabi Alonso, 41, Bayer Leverkusen

Barely a year into his first stint as head coach at Bayer Leverkusen, the elegant former defensive midfielder with 114 caps for Spain has already established a reputation as a great manager in the making. It may be a little premature, but he is nevertheless being touted as the future boss of his former clubs, Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Regardless of the flattering accolades, Alonso has undoubtedly revitalized a faltering Leverkusen team. Upon taking charge last October, the Spaniard led the German club from second place in the Bundesliga to a respectable sixth place, reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League to boot. A year later, Alonso’s side sit top of the league, having won all but a 2-2 away draw against Bayern Munich.

The 41-year-old’s introduction of a 3-4-3 system has made Leverkusen more balanced, partly due to the extra space allowing the full-backs to express their attacking potential and the extra central defender mitigating vulnerabilities defensive measures in case of defeat. the ball in midfield. But it’s not just about tactics: it cannot be denied that Alonso’s people management and leadership skills are also high level.

Arne Slot, 45, Feyenoord

Having already turned down an offer to take charge of Tottenham this summer, the main challenge for Slot is managing his career rather than making a name for himself.

A proponent of high-pressing football that relies on energy, rapid ball recovery and ruthlessly effective transitions, the Dutchman – appreciated by his players for his engaging style and clear communication – was inspired by recognized masters of art such as Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp.

Despite his dizzying reputation, Slot is relatively new to the profession. In December 2020, his first term at AZ ended abruptly after a year and a half, as his preliminary negotiations with Feyenoord were not taken lightly in Alkmaar. Yet he still left AZ with a club record scoring average of 2.11 per game.

After taking charge of Feyenoord six months later, Slot — mostly in his favored 4-2-3-1 formation — led the club to the Conference League final and brought the Eredivisie title to Rotterdam the following season, winning twice. Rinus Michels Awards for Coach of the Current Year.

Sébastien Hoeness, 41 years old, Stuttgart

Despite his surname – Hoeness is the son of former Bayern Munich center forward Dieter and the nephew of Uli, the figurehead of the same club – the Stuttgart coach is having a promising career himself.

After leaving a relatively modest tenure as a player, Hoeness moved into coaching at the age of 29 and learned his trade at the progressive academies of Bayern and RB Leipzig. In the summer of 2020, he was given the opportunity to take charge of Hoffenheim’s first team and, although his two seasons there ended with slightly disappointing mid-table finishes, Hoeness still showed signs of being a flexible and nurturing coach. It alternates between a variety of systems and tactical approaches.

However, his most famous feat to date was helping Stuttgart escape to the Bundesliga at the end of last season. With only eight games remaining and five points out of the relegation playoff spot, Stuttgart managed to secure their safety by defeating Hamburg (on an aggregate score of 6-1) in the two decisive playoff encounters. This campaign, Stuttgart – aided by sensation Serhou Guirassy’s 13 goals – are the Bundesliga’s surprise side, sitting second, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen.

Francesco Farioli, 34 years old, Nice

The young Italian did not choose the traditional route to become head coach of one of the most ambitious teams in a European “Top Five”. After serving as assistant coach – and partly goalkeeper coach – to Roberto De Zerbi at Frosinone and Sassuolo, Farioli jumped at the chance to take charge of Turkish side Karagümrük three years ago.

In a fairly unfamiliar setting, Farioli did well enough to earn a move to Alanyaspor before being rather surprisingly appointed by Nice in the summer. His respectable results with mid-table Turkish sides speak volumes about his ability to adapt to unfamiliar environments and early signs from France indicate that he is capable of continuing his career development there as well.

Despite a difficult first series, Nice are still undefeated in Ligue 1, having beaten PSG and Monaco away. Fagioli has openly admitted his gratitude to De Zerbi for pursuing a coaching career and it is no surprise that there are common principles shared with the Brighton manager. Under the 34-year-old, Nice play up front, with early ball recoveries and plenty of players allowed into attacking areas.

Will Still, 31 years old, Reims

Born in Belgium to English parents, Still made headlines around the world when he was promoted to head coach of Reims following the departure of Óscar García last October, aged just 30.

He rose through the ranks in football as a video analyst, with a single eight-match spell as interim head coach of the Belgian second division at the age of 24. Nevertheless, Reims embarked on a spectacular 17-match unbeaten streak in Ligue 1. (during which the French club had to pay a fine of €25,000 per match due to the lack of a coaching diploma required by Still.) A year later, his team is thriving in a respectable sixth position.

From a tactical point of view, Reims is functional and solid — it still tends to line up in a 4-2-3-1 — rather than experimental and adventurous, which one might expect from a inexperienced and young head coach. Despite all the media attention, Still remains humble, repeatedly expressing his gratitude for being entrusted with head coaching responsibility at such a young age, and is focused on his tactical development and building strong relationships with his players.

Thiago Motta, 41 years old, Bologna

The Brazilian-born former midfielder is still best known for his illustrious playing days where he racked up 30 senior caps for Italy, but he is carving out a promising, if relatively low-key, coaching career. That said, it’s fair to assume that Motta is closely watched by top clubs across Europe, largely due to his personal characteristics as an outspoken and hard worker who carries himself with an aura of authority.

Aside from his first job at Genoa in 2019, which lasted just two months, he has achieved some success, firstly in keeping Spezia low-spending in the face of most predictions at the end of the 2021 season -2022 Serie A. Then, having failed to agree a new contract with Spezia, he went on to lead Bologna to ninth place last season, their best finish in Serie A in over a decade.

Unsurprisingly, Motta has managed to instill some of his own characteristics from his playing days. In a 4-2-3-1 system, Bologna play aggressively and are well organized and difficult to break down – with just six goals conceded in the first eight matches – despite being the third youngest team in the league.

Jagoba Arrasate, 45 years old, Osasuna

In an age where football managers are expected to take center stage in the media, utter catchy phrases and embellish their reputations as if their lives depended on it, Arrasate represents something of an antidote. This discreet Basque rarely ignites press conferences or engages in “mind games” with his colleagues, preferring to quietly go about his business, concentrating on his work on the training ground rather than making headlines. newspapers.

After taking over Osasuna in 2018, Arrasate was immediately promoted to the top tier and since then the Pamplona side have never finished lower than 11th place. Last season’s seventh-place finish represented the club’s best result in 11 years, and Arrasate led them to the Copa del Rey final.

Perhaps more importantly, during his five-year tenure, the respected 45-year-old managed to build a true Osasuna DNA: an aggressive, pressing team that is arguably the most direct in La Liga.