The 11 highest paid football managers in the world | OneFootball

Being a football manager is a thankless task. It brings an incredible amount of pressure and is often without too much reward. Unless a manager retires or resigns, they will be sacked from their job as soon as results become less than satisfactory. But if you're good enough to manage at the top level, you will be very well paid for the gig.

An insane amount of money is flying around in the beautiful game now, with both players and managers getting paid handsome sums. The finances have only continued to grow over the years, especially with Saudi Pro League clubs handing out huge contracts to lure the likes of Steven Gerrard to their shores.

But who are the best-paid managers in world football? Well, following Gerrard signing a new two-year extension at Al Ettifaq, The Sun have revealed the 11 highest paid coaches in world football. And surprisingly, Gerrard is the only Saudi Pro League manager to crack the list, with it instead being dominated by the Premier League - a more unsurprising revelation. Let's take a look at the 11 highest earners and see who exactly pockets the most every year.

1 Diego Simeone - Atletico Madrid

It will come as a shock to many that the Atletico Madrid boss is the highest-paid manager in the world. Diego Simeone has managed to topple Barcelona and Real Madrid on two different occasions to lift the La Liga title. Recent years have seen struggles land at his door, and this season Atleti are some way behind current La Liga leaders Girona.

However, that should not detract from the job Simeone has been doing since he arrived in the dugout of the Colchoneros. Unfortunate not to win a Champions League in 2015/16, he has regularly managed to disrupt the two Spanish giants. The Atletico hierarchy ensured that he committed his future to the club in November 2023, with him putting pen to paper on a deal until 2027, one which also saw him become the highest-paid coach in the game. Does he deserve it? After 13 years of service, absolutely.

2 Pep Guardiola - Manchester City

Fresh off the back of a treble-winning campaign, many would assume Guardiola is the highest paid manager in the world. This is not the case as he has to settle for second place, but first place in England. With four league titles in the past five seasons, it's fair to see why he's on such a mammoth salary, especially when he's considered by fans to be the best manager in the world right now.

The journey that began in 2016 is set to end in 2025 as Guardiola is reportedly set to leave once his current deal expires. This will end his stay at the English club after nine full seasons and a cabinet full of trophies. He is currently pursuing Sir Alex Ferguson's trophy haul to become the most decorated boss in history, although he has some way to go on that front.

3 Jurgen Klopp - Liverpool

£16m a year

The third-highest earning coach in world football, albeit not for long. While Liverpool are a club known to not pay over the odds on player wages in the past, they have made an exception to keep Klopp at the club for the last nine years. The German certainly deserves his salary, having brought a huge amount of success to Anfield since his appointment in October 2015, including a first Premier League title.

The Reds will soon have his mammoth salary off their wage bill, however, with Klopp set to leave the club at the end of the 2023/24 season. However, with his side still in with a chance of winning four competitions, he could end on a high, and possibly even pocket a nice bonus for doing so.

Steven Gerrard - Al Ettifaq

£15.2m a year

Prior to his contract extension being signed, Gerrard and Al Ettifaq had endured a winless run, with pressure starting to mount on the Liverpool legend. Which is why his extension and pay rise came as such a shock to the football community.

Having still not won a match since October against Al-Wehda, it's safe to say a fair few people would be questioning why exactly he is on such a staggering wage. The new deal suggests he has time to turn his situation around, but if things do not improve, expect him to be out of a job and out of this list.

5 Max Allegri - Juventus

Despite Juve's financial struggles, the Bianconeri have continued to throw a huge amount of money behind Allegri, putting him in the top five earning managers in 2024. While he oversaw a period of dominance at the club in his first spell, winning six Scudettos in as many seasons and advancing to two European finals, his second stint at the club has not been as fruitful.

Not being helped by off the pitch struggles which saw Juventus handed a 10 point deduction for false accounting in May 2023, Allegri has attempted to steady the ship - and to good effect. Now back at the top of the Serie A table, he is hoping to end their title drought at the end of the 23/24 season.

6 Thomas Tuchel - Bayern Munich

£10.6m a year

Tuchel was a shock appointment with Julien Nagelsmann departing the club in early 2023. The German was sacked unexpectedly by Chelsea himself in 2022, but is now the best paid boss in his home country.

While he managed to get his hands on the Bundesliga title after a dramatic final day in the 2022/23 season, Tuchel and Bayern haven't enjoyed the best of seasons so far. Eliminated from the German Cup by third-tier Saarbruecken in November 2023, they are also behind Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga table. Reports even suggested that he was 'fighting for his job' after losing to Werder Bremen, which hints at all not being well in Munich presently.

7 Mauricio Pochettino - Chelsea

£10.4m a year

Chelsea aren't afraid to splash the cash under Todd Boehly, and the Blues' owner gifted Pochettino a cool £10.4m yearly salary when he appointed him manager in 2023. The former Spurs coach has had his work cut out this season, with the west London outfit still underperforming given the wealth of talent they have at their disposal.

But things are, at least, slightly more positive than they were under Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard in 2022/23. Pochettino has guided Chelsea back to Wembley, with a Carabao Cup final against Liverpool lying in wait. Also still in the hunt to qualify for a European competition this season, as well as the FA Cup, Poch could still make this season memorable for his new team.

8 Carlo Ancelotti - Real Madrid

The most surprising thing about Ancelotti's salary is arguably the fact he isn't on as much as some of the other names in this list. The Italian has done an excellent job at the Bernabeu since arriving in 2021, adding a Champions League and La Liga title to his impressive trophy haul.

His work in Madrid has been rewarded with a contract extension, with Ancelotti signing a new deal with Los Blancos until 2026, having been linked with the Brazil managerial position. Since then, he has added a Spanish Super Cup to his CV, and with two more years set to come in Spain at least, it would be surprising to see him not hoist more silverware.

9 Erik ten Hag - Manchester United

The Manchester United manager will always be one of the most lucrative positions in world football, so it's no shock to see Ten Hag among the highest earners. Although some might question if he will still be here come the end of the season.

After a promising first year which saw the Red Devils qualify for the Champions League and win the League Cup under his watch, the club have gone backwards this season. Already out of the Champions League and fighting to get back into the top four after a lacklustre first half of the campaign, reports emerged in January that . Considering how much he is being paid at Old Trafford, fortunes have to change soon.

10 Simone Inzaghi - Inter Milan

£8.8m a year

After a few years of disappointment, Inter Milan have returned to the summit of Italian and European football, and a big reason why is because of Inzaghi. The tactician has stamped his authority on the team since arriving in 2021, lifting several domestic cups with the Nerrazurri and advancing to the Champions League final in 2022/23.

Inzaghi's contract at the San Siro is due to expire in 2025, and there is no reason to suggest that he won't receive a contract extension, especially if he lifts a league title this season. If he does get a new deal, that is likely to come with a handsome pay rise, one which could see him rise up in the top 10.

11 Mikel Arteta - Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arteta just misses out on a spot in the top 10, with him £500k a year behind Inzaghi. Although it hasn't always been easy going, the Spaniard has done an incredible job at the Emirates, getting rid of the dead wood while implementing an exciting brand of football which has put the Gunners back in the Premier League title picture.

Arsenal came so close to ending their title drought in 2022/23, and are still in the race this season despite some disappointing results. Arteta's deal is set to run until the summer of 2025, but given the job he's doing, it would be a surprise not to see him sign an extension.