11 Best-Paid Football Managers in the World
The highest-paid football managers worldwide have been identified, with Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid at the top of the list.
Managing football teams is an unappreciated job. It comes with a great deal of strain and frequently little return. As soon as outcomes start to fall short of expectations, managers will be fired unless they retire or resign. However, they will receive a very high salary for the position if they are skilled enough to manage at the highest level.
However, who are the most-paid football managers worldwide? The 11 highest-paid football coaches in the world have been identified. The more predictable finding is that the Premier League dominates the list, with Gerrard being the only manager from the Saudi Pro League to make it in.
The following is the list of highly paid managers in the world.
- Diego Simeone – Atletico Madrid
Annually wage: £30 million
The fact that the manager of Atletico Madrid is the highest-paid manager in the world—by a significant margin—will surprise a lot of people. Diego Simeone has successfully defended the La Liga championship by defeating Real Madrid and Barcelona twice. He has faced difficulties in the past, and this season Atleti is far behind the current La Liga leaders.
That shouldn’t take away from the work Simeone has been doing since getting into the Colchoneros’ dugout, though. Though he was unfortunate not to win a Champions League in 2015–16, he has consistently caused problems for the two dominant Spanish teams. In November 2023, the Atletico hierarchy made sure he signed a contract until 2027, making him the highest-paid coach in the league, and he pledged his future to the team. Does he merit it? Definitely after 13 years of service.
- Pep Guardiola – Manchester City
Annually wage: £20 million
Many people would believe that Guardiola is the highest-paid manager in the world following a treble-winning campaign. Despite being the highest-paid manager in England, he only manages a second-place finish on this list. But given that he has won four league titles in the last five seasons and is regarded by supporters as the best manager in the world at the moment, it’s understandable why he is paid such an enormous amount.
The Spanish manager has not yet signed a new contract with the Citizens, thus the trip that started in 2016 can come to an end in 2025. His nine complete seasons and a trophy cabinet full of accomplishments will come to an end with this. Guardiola has some work ahead of him to catch Sir Alex Ferguson’s record of winning the most trophies as a manager in history.
- Jurgen Klopp – Liverpool
Annually wage: £16 million
Despite not being around for very long, the third-highest-paid football coach in the world. Even though Liverpool has a reputation for not paying players more than is reasonable, they have made an exception to retain Klopp for the last nine years. After bringing a ton of success to Anfield since his arrival in October 2015, including his first Premier League triumph, the German most definitely deserves his compensation.
With Klopp expected to depart the team at the end of the 2023–24 campaign, the Reds will soon be able to cut his enormous compensation from their payroll. But he could still end the season on a positive note, and he might even receive a tidy bonus since his team still has a chance to win four tournaments.
- Steven Gerrard – Al-Ettifaq
Annually wage: £15.2 million
Gerrard and Al-Ettifaq had gone without a victory until he signed his contract extension in early 2024, at which point the pressure on the Liverpool great began to build. This is the reason the football community was so shocked by his extension and pay increase.
According to the new contract, he had time to improve his circumstances, and the Englishman is already beginning to pay back the club’s leadership for their belief in him. With Al-Ettifaw’s excellent play following the winter break, all parties involved will be hoping Gerrard can keep his men performing at their highest level.
- Max Allegri – Juventus
Annually wage: £11.3 million
Juve has been throwing a lot of money at Allegri despite their financial difficulties, and as a result, he will rank among the top five paid managers in 2024. His second career at the club has not been as successful as his first, despite overseeing a period of dominance during which he won six Scudettos in as many seasons and advanced to two European finals.
Not helped by Juventus’ off-field issues, which resulted in a 10-point deduction for incorrect accounting in May 2023, Allegri has made a successful attempt to right the ship. The Italian manager wants to lead the ancient club back to the pinnacle of European football now that they are eligible to play in the Champions League again.
- Thomas Tuchel – Bayern Munich
Annually wage: £10.6 million
With Julien Nagelsmann leaving the team at the beginning of 2023, Tuchel’s appointment came as a surprise. After a string of disappointing performances, the German was abruptly fired by Chelsea in 2022 and is now slated to depart Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023–2024 campaign.
Even though he emerged victorious from the 2022–23 Bundesliga season following an eventful final day, Tuchel and Bayern haven’t had the finest of seasons thus far. They were defeated by Saarbruecken, a third-tier team, in the German Cup in November 2023. In the Bundesliga standings, they are now behind Bayer Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso.
- Mauricio Pochettino – Chelsea
Annually wage: £10.4 million
Under Todd Boehly, Chelsea isn’t hesitant to spend big money. When Pochettino was hired as manager in 2023, the Blues’ owner gave him a salary of an astounding £10.4 million per year. Despite having a lot of quality at their disposal, the West London team is still underperforming, so the former Spurs boss has his job cut out for him this season.
However, compared to 2022–2023 under Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard, things are at least marginally better. Pochettino still has the Blues hoping to win the FA Cup and advance to a European competition. Poch might still turn this season into one his new club will never forget.
- Carlo Ancelotti – Real Madrid
Annually wage: £9.6 million
The fact that Ancelotti isn’t as well-known as some of the other names on this list may be the most unexpected aspect of his pay. Since moving to the Bernabeu in 2021, the Italian has performed admirably, adding titles to his outstanding collection of trophies which includes the Champions League and La Liga.
Ancelotti, who has been connected to the Brazil coaching role, has been rewarded for his efforts at Real Madrid with a contract extension, this time with Los Blancos till 2026. With two more years remaining in Spain, at the very least, he has added a Spanish Super Cup to his resume. It would be shocking to see him not win further trophies.
- Erik Ten Hag – Manchester United
Annually wage: £9 million
It’s not surprising to see Ten Hag among the top-paid footballers given the Manchester United manager is one of the most expensive jobs in the world, even though some may wonder if he’ll be around after the season.
Under his leadership, the Red Devils had a fantastic first season in which they won the League Cup and qualified for the Champions League. However, in 2023–24, the team regressed. After a dismal first half of the season, United is currently out of the Champions League and is battling to return to the top four. In January, rumors circulated that there is discord within the United squad regarding Ten Hag. Fortunes have to turn around quickly, especially with the kind of money he is making at Old Trafford.
- Simone Inzaghi – Inter Milan
Annually wage: £8.8 million
Inzaghi has played a major role in helping Inter Milan return to the pinnacle of Italian and European football after a few years of despair. Since joining the team in 2021, the tactician has cemented his dominance, winning multiple domestic cups with the Nerrazurri and making it to the 2022–2023 Champions League final.
Since Inzaghi’s San Siro contract is set to expire in 2025, there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be extended—especially if he wins a league championship this year. Should he secure a new contract, he is expected to receive a substantial salary increase, potentially propelling him into the top 10.
- Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
Annually wage: £8.3 million
Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, is £500k a year behind Inzaghi and narrowly misses out on a top-10 berth. The Spaniard has done an amazing job at the Emirates Stadium, getting rid of deadwood and introducing an exciting brand of football that has put the Gunners back in the running for the Premier League crown, even though things haven’t always been easy sailing.
Despite some underwhelming performances this season, Arsenal is still in the running to end their title drought, having come dangerously close in 2022–2023. Although Arteta’s contract is scheduled to expire in the summer of 2025, it would not be surprising if he were to agree to further terms in north London, considering the kind of work he’s doing.
11 Best-Paid Football Managers in the World
