10 greatest managers in Serie A history

#8 Massimiliano Allegri

Allegri has enjoyed an exceptional career

The Serie A has historically been a competitive league with the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter Milan battling each other for the Scudetto among a host of other formidable teams. Under the tutelage of Massimiliano Allegri, however, Juventus shattered Serie A's competitive image and monopolised the league in a stunning display of consistency and hunger.

After an exceptional start to his managerial career with Sassuolo, Allegri joined AC Milan in 2010 and led the Rossoneri to their first Serie A title in six years. The young manager spent three more years at AC Milan before joining Juventus in 2014.

Massimiliano Allegri was given the daunting task of building on Antonio Conte's progress with the Bianconeri and arguably surpassed his predecessor's achievements in the Serie A. Allegri won five consecutive Scudettos with Juventus and is now one of the most sought-after managers in Europe.

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#7 Nereo Rocco

Nereo Rocco changed Italian football. Image Source: These Football Times

With the modern sporting era placing an unnecessary amount of emphasis on silverware and glory, pure footballing genius is often lost in the annals of history. 'Catenaccio' is a school that Italian football continues to swear by and imbibe in its folklore and it is an unfortunate travesty that the forebearer of this revolutionary art is often omitted entirely from contemporary discourse.

Nereo Rocco was as disciplined with his formations on the pitch as he was charming in the streets of Milan. Rocco's personality was the antithesis of his more popular nemesis Helenio Herrera but the two visionaries were two sides of the same coin with their tactical exploits in the Serie A.

108 - #OnThisDay in 1912 Nereo Rocco was born in Trieste. He led #ACMilan to become the 1st Italian team to win the European Cup, against Benfica in 1962/63 at Wembley stadium. Paròn. @acmilan #OTD #20May pic.twitter.com/SqySgzE4xa

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) May 20, 2020

The 1960s witnessed an irreversible change in Italian football and the 'King of Catenaccio' played a massive role in creating a system that dominates the Serie A to this day. Nereo Rocco may have only two Scudettos in his silverware cabinet but his time at AC Milan arguably resulted in decades of Italian success on the European front.

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#6 Marcello Lippi

Italy owes a great debt to Marcello Lippi

Marcello Lippi's illustrious track record in the Serie A makes him one of Italy's best-ever managers. The veteran tactician dominated the league in the 1990s and made Italian football a formidable force in Europe.

Lippi was appointed in a managerial role by Juventus in 1994 and went on to win five Serie A titles with the Bianconeri. In a decade that saw Italian football at its peak, Marcello Lippi defied the odds to make Juventus a near-invincible force with a combination of defensive acumen and offensive flair.

Marcello Lippi returns to the Juve dugout for the second time #OnThisDay in 2001. The rest is history... 🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/5U6wTYSB0G

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) June 20, 2016

The Juventus legend is also the only manager on this list to win the World Cup and managed the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Edgar Davids during his time in the Serie A.

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#5 Fabio Capello

Fabio Capello had an illustrious career

Fabio Capello has always been a controversial figure in the world of football but his managerial credentials are unquestionable. 'Don Fabio' has often clashed with his star players over the course of an illustrious career but his discipline and pragmatism have yielded incredible results over the years.

Widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game, Capello conquered the Serie A with AC Milan and AS Roma and could have also won two Scudettos with Juventus had it not been for the infamous Calciopoli scandal.

Fabio Capello has had his detractors over the years but his impeccable record in the Serie A makes him one of Italy's best tactical exponents. Capello also enjoyed success outside Italy and retired after a trophy-laden managerial career.

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