European football has returned in full, but clubs’ confidence in their managers can change quickly once competitive matches begin. A poor run in the opening weeks or months often leads to a change in the dugout.
With that in mind, online publication Euro-Football.ru has compiled a list of 10 prominent managers who are currently available and could, in theory, take charge of a club in one of Europe’s leading leagues.
Erik ten Hag
The Dutchman established his reputation at Ajax, where he won three league titles and three other domestic trophies. That success earned him the opportunity to manage Manchester United, although he ultimately failed to meet expectations.
After almost two and a half years in charge, even the famously patient Manchester United hierarchy decided to part company with Ten Hag. Last summer he was appointed by Bayer Leverkusen, but was unexpectedly dismissed after only three matches, with the club having collected four points.
Since February this year, the 56-year-old has worked as technical director at Twente, where he began his coaching career.
Gareth Southgate
Southgate made his name with the England national team. His only club management experience came with Middlesbrough, whom he led from 2006 to 2009.
He joined the England set-up in 2011 and spent the next five and a half years working with the younger age groups. Southgate was promoted to the senior side in 2016 following England’s poor showing at the European Championship.
During his eight years in charge, he delivered impressive results but could not win a trophy. England’s best achievements under Southgate were two European Championship finals. He was, however, regularly criticised for a cautious, low-scoring style of football.
Joachim Low
Joachim Low spent 15 years managing Germany, from 2006 until 2021, and won two major trophies.
Germany lifted the 2014 World Cup and, three years later, won the final edition of the Confederations Cup, held in Russia. Low has not worked since leaving the national team, although there were reports before the 2026 World Cup that he could be appointed by Ghana.
Julian Nagelsmann
Despite being only 39, Nagelsmann already has extensive experience. He began coaching in 2008 and received his first senior appointment in 2016, when he took charge of Hoffenheim.
He moved to RB Leipzig in 2019 and remained there until 2021, before joining Bayern Munich. In Bavaria, Nagelsmann won his first trophy as the club claimed the league title, while Bayern also lifted the German Super Cup twice during his tenure.
In September 2023, he became Germany manager. At Euro 2024, the team reached the quarter-finals, but at the most recent World Cup they were eliminated in the last 32 after a shock defeat by Paraguay. Nagelsmann was dismissed afterwards.
Ronald Koeman
Koeman has managed major clubs in Portugal and the Netherlands, as well as Everton and Southampton in England. He also spent just over a year in charge of Barcelona.
The Dutchman has had two spells as Netherlands manager, with the second running from 2023 to 2026. At the most recent World Cup, the Netherlands were knocked out in the last 32 by Morocco, after which Koeman decided to leave the role.
Arne Slot
Slot was offered the Netherlands job after Koeman’s departure but declined. He said he was not yet ready to manage a national side and wanted to continue his club career.
Between 2019 and 2024, with a break during that period, Slot managed AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord. His work at Feyenoord attracted the attention of Liverpool, who appointed him in the summer of 2024. He surprisingly led the club to the title in his first season.
However, after that championship campaign, he was unable to cope with Liverpool’s extensive rebuild, during which the club spent half a billion euros on players. Slot was dismissed after Liverpool finished only fifth in the Premier League last season.
Didier Deschamps
Several high-profile international managers left their positions this summer, including Deschamps, who had led France since 2012.
During his tenure, France won the World Cup and the Nations League. They triumphed at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, reached the final again four years later but lost to Argentina, and finished fourth at the most recent tournament.
Eddie Howe
Howe has not yet managed one of Europe’s biggest clubs, but he produced highly regarded work at Newcastle United between 2021 and 2026.
After Southgate left England, Howe was linked with the national-team job but rejected the opportunity. In 2023, he became the first Newcastle manager since 2003 to guide the club into the Champions League, and he expected to remain at St James’ Park for as long as possible.
Newcastle’s previous season was disappointing, however, while the club also sold all of its key players during the latest transfer window. Howe could not forgive the board for that decision and resigned three weeks before the start of the new league campaign.
Before joining Newcastle, he managed Bournemouth in two spells, from 2008 to 2011 and 2012 to 2020, as well as Burnley from 2011 to 2012.
Antonio Conte
Conte is regarded as one of the strongest, but also one of the most controversial, managers in modern football. He has moved between a large number of clubs and has usually delivered immediate success.
The Italian has won his country’s league title five times: three times with Juventus, once with Inter and once with Napoli. He has also won the Italian Super Cup twice, with Juventus and Napoli.
Conte worked with Chelsea and won the FA Cup and the Champions League at a time when few expected the club to succeed. He also managed the Italy national team from 2014 to 2016.
Pep Guardiola
Guardiola is the most decorated manager on the list, with seven trophies at Bayern Munich, 14 at Barcelona and 20 at Manchester City.
He began his managerial career at Barcelona in 2008 and quickly built one of the greatest teams in football history, a side that dominated in Spain and in the Champions League. Guardiola spent only four years in Catalonia before taking a year-long break and moving to Bayern Munich, where he worked from 2013 to 2016. He then moved from Munich to Manchester.
A decade of outstanding work has established Guardiola as, at the very least, the finest manager of the modern era. While Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho are praised for their psychology and motivational skills, Guardiola is associated above all with football itself and its aesthetic qualities.
At the end of May, the Spaniard admitted that he no longer had the energy to work every day and had decided to leave, despite the difficulty of the decision. It is not known whether he will return to management. If he does, it is likely to be with a national team, as Guardiola has repeatedly said he is no longer prepared to build another club project after his demanding spell at Manchester City.
