Who Are The 10 Highest Paid Managers in World Football in 2016?

MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 21: Head coach Diego Pablo Simeone of Atletico de Madrid reacts during the La Liga match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at Vicente Calderon stadium on August 21, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Simeone led Atletico to the La Liga title in 2013/14

FILE PHOTO - (EDITORS NOTE: COMPOSITE OF TWO IMAGES - Image numbers (L) 576692476 and 485728065) In this composite image a comparision has been made between Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho (L) and Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City.  Josep Guardiola brings his Manchester City team to Old Trafford to face Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in their first Manchester derby in the Premier League on September 10, 2016.   ***LEFT IMAGE*** WIGAN, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho looks on during the pre season friendly match between Wigan Athletic and Manchester United at the JJB Stadium on July 16, 2016 in Wigan, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images) ***RIGHT IMAGE*** STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City reacts during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Manchester City at Bet365 Stadium on August 20, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

In the world of football, it’s not just the players who get paid vast amounts of money but also the managers.

A football manager’s job is a thankless job where the pressure is always on the manager and a small slip-up will get you the sack. Even winning silverware doesn't please club owners and they are the first to come under fire if they don’t live up to their expectations.

But, the big managerial job does pay big bucks, too.

Let’s take a look at 10 of the highest paid managers in world football.


#10 Diego Simeone

Club: Atlético Madrid

Salary: £4.4 Million

After winning the La Liga title in 2013/14 and taking the club to two Champions League finals in three seasons, Diego Simeone earned himself a new five-year contract in 2015. The Spanish club has been through a major transformation under the Argentinian ever since his appointment.

Simeone truly established himself in Europe after the way he developed the club and it’s players over the years.

Perhaps the only thing that Diego Simeone must be regretting is the two Champions League final defeats to Real Madrid. The Argentinian is going nowhere until Atletico are European champions.

#9 Zinedine Zidane

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN - AUGUST 21:  Head coach Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid reacts during the La Liga match between Real Sociedad de Futbol and Real Madrid at Estadio Anoeta on August 21, 2016 in San Sebastian, Spain.  (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Zidane has taken to management seamlessly

Club: Real Madrid

Salary: £4.6 Million

Although it has only been nine months since the Frenchman took up the toughest job in Spanish football, Zizou has already managed to add a Champions League trophy to the Real Madrid trophy cabinet.

The former Real Madrid player already has legendary status at the club as a player and is now hoping to achieve legendary status as a manager too.

With the start of the new La Liga season, Zidane’s top priority will be to beat defending champions FC Barcelona to the Spanish League title. With the kind of squad Zidane has in his kitty even a treble is an understatement.

It was reported that Zidane’s salary was doubled after he led Real Madrid to win the Champions League.

#8 Ronald Koeman

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Everton manager Ronald Koeman during the Premier League match between Everton and Stoke City at Goodison Park on August 27, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Lynne Cameron/Getty Images)
Koeman signed for Everton from Southampton this season

Club: Everton

Salary: £6 Million

After two years at Southampton, Ronald Koeman joined Everton on a three-year contract back in June. The 53-year-old Dutchman has great aspirations for the future and Everton fans will be hopeful of a turnaround after disappointing in their previous two seasons under Roberto Martinez.

Koeman will be looking to reinstate some of Everton’s lost virtues and will be looking to bring the same kind of success that he had in previous spells at Ajax, Benfica, and PSV.

The new Everton manager will look to improve the young set of players at the club like Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku. Dutch managers don’t come cheap.

The former Barcelona player is reportedly on a £6 Million-a-year salary and is on a three year contract.

#7 Antonio Conte

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15:  Antonio Conte, Manager of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on August 15, 2016 in London, England.  (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Conte has had successful spells as Italy and Juventus manager

Club: Chelsea

Salary: £6.6 Million

With Chelsea’s ousting of Jose Mourinho last season Roman Abramovich knew it would be hard to replace a manager with similar credentials. But the club managed to lure former Juventus manager Antonio Conte, and the Italian manager was surely up for the task.

Although Chelsea FC is going through a transition period, the club has enough talent in the team for Conte to pull off something special.

With the kind of success he had at Juventus in the past, the Italian surely deserves the hefty pay. But, Conte’s £6.6 Million-a-year salary is half of what his predecessor Jose Mourinho was paid when he was in-charge of the club.

The Italian is on a three-year deal with the London club.

#6 Luis Enrique

SEVILLE, SPAIN - AUGUST 14:  Head Coach of FC Barcelona Luis Enrique looks on during the match between Sevilla FC vs FC Barcelona as part of the Spanish Super Cup Final 1st Leg  at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on August 14, 2016 in Seville, Spain.  (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Luis Enrique was also part of Barcelona as a player

Club: Barcelona

Salary: £7.2 Million

The former player-turned-manager has had tremendous success with Barcelona FC over the years, winning a treble in his debut year and La Liga title and Cup double last season.

In fact, Luis Enrique recently won his 100th game as manager of FC Barcelona.

But Enrique has recently been in the news regarding his future as he has been linked to the news of becoming the Spanish football team head coach. With no experienced and established managers available in the market, Barcelona will be hoping Luis Enrique remains at Camp Nou.

Enrique previously coached Barcelona’s B team and later moved to Roma, to finally make his return to Nou Camp. He has a contract with Barcelona till 2017.

#5 Jurgen Klopp

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at White Hart Lane on August 27, 2016 in London, England.  (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Klopp’s smiling his way to the bank

Club: Liverpool

Salary: £7.5 Million

Liverpool FC don’t mind paying any amount of money to a manager as long as they get the Merseyside club back to their past glory. Jurgen Klopp certainly fits the bill to achieve that goal. Liverpool fans couldn’t have asked for a better manager for the club than Jurgen Klopp.

This being Klopp’s first full tenure, expectations are high, with Klopp bringing in some highly talented players in the likes of Sadio Mane, Giorginio Wijnaldum, Marko Grujic, Loris Karius and a few more.

With such heavy reinforcements being brought in, the club’s fans will not settle for anything less the Champions League spots.

Klopp initially signed on a deal which would have kept him at Liverpool till June 2018, but his contract was extended till June 2022. His salary too was increased from £6 Million to £7.5 Million.

#4 Arsene Wenger

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on August 14, 2016 in London, England.  (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsene Wenger has been at the helm at Arsenal for 2 decades

Club: Arsenal

Salary: £8.3 Million

Surprisingly Wenger pips Luis Enrique in the list despite the Spanish man's treble at a club like Barcelona. Even though the Gunners finished in second place last season, the veteran manager has come under immense pressure from the fans despite consistently qualifying for the Champions League.

With only one year left on his contract, this could very well be Wenger’s final season as in charge of Arsenal FC and he would want nothing less but to go out on a high. The Arsenal manager signed his last contract with the Gunners in 2014.

We still can’t write off Wenger’s men to put an end to a 12-year title drought. All things said twenty years at a club like Arsenal is a big achievement for any manager.

#3 Jose Mourinho

HULL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United looks on during the Premier League match between Hull City and Manchester United at KCOM Stadium on August 27, 2016 in Hull, England.  (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Mourinho is one of the most sought after managers in the world

Club: Manchester United

Salary: £12.3 Million

After a string of embarrassing defeats, Mourinho was ousted by Chelsea midway last season. But the “Special One” didn’t have to wait too long for a big club to come knocking at his door, and neither did one of the biggest clubs in England, Manchester United.

Mourinho couldn't ask for better with the club’s willingness to spend big, Record breaking, in fact, bringing in Paul Pogba for a sum around €90 million, Henrikh Mkhitaryan for around £30 million and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for free. There’s no question that Mourinho means business.

Mourinho signed a three-year contract with an option of extending one more year.

#2 Carlo Ancelotti

VIGO, SPAIN - APRIL 26:  Head coach Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid CF looks on during the La Liga match between Celta Vigo and Real Madrid CF at Estadio Balaidos on April 26, 2015 in Vigo, Spain.  (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Ancelotti has coached some of the biggest clubs in the world

Club: Bayern Munich

Salary: £12.6 Million

Carlo Ancelotti is definitely one of the most experienced and decorated managers in world football at the moment and rightly deserves the price tag. The man has the reputation which is impossible to match.

Having won several trophies in England, France, Spain and Italy, the Italian now wants to achieve success in the Bundesliga as well. After the departure of Pep Guardiola to Manchester City, Ancelotti signed a three-year deal with Bayern Munich in the summer.

The Italian manager will be happy since there will be less pressure at Bayern Munich in comparison to Real Madrid where nobody’s job is safe.

#1 Pep Guardiola

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28:  Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on August 28, 2016 in Manchester, England.  (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
Probably the best manager in world football at the moment

Club: Manchester City

Salary: £15.3 Million

After spells at big European clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, there’s no question that expectations are monstrous from Pep after being signed by Manchester City.

The much-awaited arrival of the Spaniard to the Premier League would be the manager's golden chance to prove the critics that he can achieve titles even in England. Although it will take time to build his own squad of players at Manchester City, Pep won’t be going easy on his rivals.

Champions League will be the priority for the manager given City’s recent failures in the European tournament.

Guardiola was actually paid more at Bayern Munich than he is currently at Manchester City, but the number is pretty big and he wouldn’t be much bothered with the reduction in salary. Guardiola is on a three-year contract at Manchester City.

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