5 current managers who’ve never been sacked

Pep Guardiola has never been sacked in his managerial career.
Pep Guardiola has never been sacked in his managerial career.

Several managers have faced the sack in recent weeks, including Nuno Espirito Santo, Ronald Koeman and Dean Smith. The demands of modern football have made the job of a head coach/manager a perpetually perilous one, as they bear all the brunt of poor results.

While players are criticised for their performances, it is the manager who remains answerable to the owners and press. It is extremely rare to find managers like Sir Alex Ferguson in modern football, who remains trusted at the same club for decades. However, even Ferguson was sacked by Scottish side St. Mirren.

On that note, here's a look at the five current managers who've never been sacked.


#5 Didier Deschamps

Didier Deschamps has won the FIFA World Cup as both player and manager.
Didier Deschamps has won the FIFA World Cup as both player and manager.

Didier Deschamps is one of only three people to have won the FIFA World Cup as both player and manager. He is also one of the few current managers who has never been sacked in his 20-year managerial career.

The Frenchman began his second career in football with Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco. He led the club to the French League Cup, and guided Monaco to their first UEFA Champions League final in 2004.

Deschamps resigned in the summer of 2005. Less than a year later, he was appointed the manager of then-Serie B side, Juventus. After guiding them back to Italy's top flight, Deschamps handed over his resignation.

The 53-year old came very close to the sack following his return to Ligue 1 with Olympique Marseille. Deschamps won six titles in three seasons at the club, including the coveted Ligue 1 title. Following a tenth-place finish in the 2011-12 season, Deschamps parted ways with the club by mutual agreement.

Deschamps is currently the manager of the French national team, and is expected to continue in the role until the end of next year.


#4 Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has never been sacked.
Zinedine Zidane has never been sacked.

In his short managerial career, Zinedine Zidane has established himself as the most successful manager in Real Madrid's history.

With 11 titles in two different spells as Real Madrid manager, Zidane averages a trophy win every 23 games. The Frenchman won the IFFHS World's Best Club Coach accolade in consecutive years as he became the only manager to win three successive Champions League titles.

Moreover, Zidane has an astonishing 66% win record in 263 matches in charge of Los Blancos' senior team. The 49-year old also previously managed Real Madrid's junior team, Real Madrid Castilla.

The Real Madrid legend is currently taking some time away from the game, enjoying a sabbatical of sorts. However, if reports are to be believed, he could be back in a job very soon, with Manchester United keen to reunite him with Cristiano Ronaldo.

#3 Diego Simeone

Diego Simeone has been Atletico Madrid's manager for the past ten years/
Diego Simeone has been Atletico Madrid's manager for the past ten years/

Diego Simeone is a scarce managerial specimen in modern football, as he has retained the high-profile Atletico Madrid job for ten years now.

The Argentine will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of Atletico Madrid and Spanish football. Simeone challenged the Real Madrid-Barcelona hegemony in Spanish football, winning two La Liga titles during his Atletico tenure. He also led Atletico Madrid to the final of the 2013-14 and 2015-16 UEFA Champions League campaigns.

In 544 matches in charge of Atletico Madrid, Simeone has a record of 324 wins, 127 draws and 93 losses. The Argentine has a win-record just shy of 60%, and averages 2.02 points per match. Simeone has managed a total of 749 games across three different leagues, but he has never faced the sack.

The closest he came to the boot was during his time at San Lorenzo. Simeone came under heavy criticism following a poor run of form, and the Argentine chose to resign and step away from the role.


#2 Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers in modern football and in the history of the sport.

The German's innovative approach and system have played a massive role in revolutionising football in recent years. Klopp took on the Bayern Munich bandwagon during his time at Borussia Dortmund. There, he became the only manager to dethrone Bayern Munich as German champions in 11 years. He won the Bundesliga title in successive seasons during his seven-year spell at Signal Iduna Park.

Before the Dortmund job, Klopp was appointed manager of FSV Mainz in Germany's second division. He achieved incredible results with the club, guiding them back to the Bundesliga in just three years.

Klopp's most challenging assignment was arguably taking over the reins at Liverpool in 2015. Back then, The Reds did not have the kind of personnel they have in their ranks now. It was an incredibly difficult job, but the German has exceeded expectations.

In his six-year spell at the club, Klopp led Liverpool to their first league title in the Premier League era and first Champions League in 14 years.


#1 Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is the most successful manager of the 21st century, with over 30 titles in his managerial career.

The Spaniard took over the reins at Barcelona B ahead of the 2007-08 season. Competing against the likes of Jose Mourinho for the role of manager in Barcelona's senior set-up, Guardiola landed his first big job in 2008.

During his four-year spell as Barcelona manager, Guardiola led them to a historic sextuple in 2009. He assembled arguably one of the greatest sides in the history of club football, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta in his ranks.

After a hiatus, Guardiola took over as manager of Bayern Munich in the summer of 2013. After claiming seven titles during his three-year tenure, the Spaniard voluntarily parted ways with the German champions.

The 50-year old is currently in charge of Manchester City, where he arrived in 2016. Guardiola is now one of the most successful Premier League managers, with three league titles in the last four seasons. He has also led the Cityzens to four League Cup titles on the trot.

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Edited by Bhargav
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