Best Football Managers Without a Job in 2024

The managerial wheel is always spinning, taking in new hopeful passengers, and ejecting those who failed to reach the ambitious goals set upon them. Upon dusting off, the managers get back in the queue for a new challenge. These are the best football managers without a job in 2024, as of June.

Note, that as we are writing this, Jose Mourinho is on the verge of signing for Fenerbahce, which is why he’s not included. In case that deal falls through.

Other highly likely deals are also mentioned, but as of now, these are the most notable football managers without a job.

It’s worth noting that Italy is still the biggest mine for coaches, which is not all that surprising considering the focus on tactics in Serie A. As well as sticking to domestic coaching talent league-wide.

Antonio Conte (Italy) - last club: Tottenham Hotspur in 2023

After leaving North London in a typical Conte (and Spurs) fashion over a year ago, with only 76 matches at the helm of THFC, the loud Italian is back in the limelight. Deemed as the man to reignite the Scudetto-winning team of Napoli, after its hungover season. But the clash of club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Antonio Conte will sell newspapers across The Boot, that is for sure.

Conte has allegedly asked for a clause that would let him leave Naples at the end of every season if he chooses. While ADL tried enticing him with a €230,000,000 transfer war chest. Yet with these two eccentrics, Conte could still stay on the sidelines of sidelines. As seemingly few other clubs are ready to rock their boats with Conte, even though he is a perpetual winner. Spurs aside.

Maurizio Sarri (Italy) - last club: Lazio in 2024

Another eccentric Italian coach, yet one with the least controversial playing style. Still quite distinct to the point of it being called Sarriball, but the perpetual-smoker is someone players and fans want to see on the sidelines. Presidents - not so much. Sarri had a falling out with Lazio’s president Claudio Lotito due to a lack of reinforcements and left after 137 matches. Carrying a win ratio only five per cent worse than that of Simone Inzaghi before he left for Inter - 48.20% to 53.39%.

Sarri was never abysmal - winning the league with Juventus and the Europa League with Chelsea. Yet it seems that the 65-year-old might have some issues commanding the younger squads. In the microcosmos of Italian football, Sarri can certainly find a new posting. Perhaps the recently vacant Bologna spot?

Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina) - last club: Chelsea in 2024

Finishing only sixth, and after a late-season rally, wasn't enough for the Chelsea brass not to cut ties with Mauricio Pochettino. Some of the players lauded the manager in the few days leading up to the sack news, but the boardroom remained deaf to those cries. Playing with a quite young team, built hastily, Pochettino can't be ashamed of the final ranking, especially as Newcastle and Manchester United were left behind.

Pochettino will most likely have an easy time finding a new position and it's quite surprising that Bayern Munich didn't even try for the manager who led Paris Saint-Germain, CFC, and reached a Champions League final with Tottenham.

Massimiliano Allegri (Italy) - last club: Juventus in 2024

Coming off an Italian Cup triumph to finish off his second stint as a Juventus manager, yet it will not be remembered as a good one. As TV ratings are becoming ever more important for teams, Massimiliano Allegri’s playing style - often unanimously described as "unwatchable" by the fans - will be a hard sell. Allegri could be sought after in France, where there is still patience for defensive teams, with the memory of Lille’s 2020 Ligue 1 title fresh in everyone’s minds.

International football, with frequent tournaments, is something that could entice and suit Allegri well. He paused two years between his Juve stints and we could see him wait it out again. Despite being only 56 years of age, with six Serie A titles, Max has become a specialist and it's hard to imagine him leading a major club in the near future.

Graham Potter (England) - last club: Chelsea in 2023

The prince who was promised of English football had the foolish luck of Chelsea FC being the first major club to give him a run. After becoming the IT manager at Brihgton Hove & Albion in 134 games, Potter only stuck around Stamford Bridge for 31 games. In the rare defence of the Chelsea executives, Graham Potter's win ratio was truly abysmal - 1.42 points per match! Only marginally better than what the 49-year-old had at Brighton.

Potter has been closest to taking in Ajax in the spring of 2024. Yet, as with any English football worker, Potter hasn't been keen on departing from the island. Now a return to Brighton or a Leicester City post seem like the most probable.

Ruud van Nistelrooy (The Netherlands) - last club: PSV in 2024

Destroying the myth of strikers being unable to transition to being good managers, Ruud van Nistelroy burst onto the managerial scene in 2022. With only a season, he managed to win the Dutch double of the Supercup and the KNVB Cup. He then resigned with one game left in the 2022/2023 season, citing a lack of support from the board.

His side scored 126 goals in 51 games, conceding 60 goals, with a win ratio of 64.71%. Ruud too seemed like a better choice for the Bayern Munich bench than Kompany, having played in Germany too. We expect a lower English side to give Ruud a try, or elite sides in Belgium or Germany.

Stefano Pioli (Italy) - last club: Milan in 2024

With the longest most recent reigns of any free managers here, Stefano Pioli is seemingly an untethered manager. Never did poorly, yet failed to replicate the 2021/2022 Scudetto triumph with Milan. Pioli has already led Fiorentina, Inter, Lazio, and Bologna. Considering returning to a previous job is a time-tested Italian Calcio tradition, the latter two could be destinations for the 58-year-old.

But Pioli could be a safe bet for a host of teams across Europe and a catch for those in Saudi Arabia. After leading Milan for 240 matches with financial investments that don't come near the ones of previous Rosonerri sides, rest could be on the cards as well.

Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina) - last club: Flamengo in 2023

The easy-to-like Jorge Sampaoli has led big teams in both Europe and South America - Sevilla (twice), Marseille, Santos, Atletico Mineiro, and Flamengo. Sampaoli also led the Argentina national team, while winning a Copa America with the Chile NT. He has been without a job since September of 2023 when the Brazilian club fired the Argentinian manager.

Still, Sampaoli could still be a good pick for sides who are battling for those Europa League and Conference League positions.

Niko Kovac (Croatia) - last club: Wolfsburg

Despite crashing and burning at Bayern Munich quickly, Niko Kovac has managed to land back on his feet quite well. First playing first taking charge of Monaco for 74 games, then returning to Germany and Wolfsburg for nearly two full seasons. Yet, his record suffered with the Wolves, having a point-per-match ratio of 1.30. Although not that different from the one he had at Eintracht Frankfurt - which recommended him for FCB in 2018 - it's his youth that warrants him a space on the list.

Aged only 52 and with a career-long playing in Germany, he will most likely try out in the Bundesliga. He finished his playing career at Red Bull Salzburg, so a return to the Austrian side wouldn't be science fiction.

Rudi Garcia (France) - last club: Napoli in 2023

Rudi Garcia is a manager who had long stints at Roma (118 games), Marseille (142 games), and Lille (256 games) but also one that isn't held in the highest regard. Lille fans still cherish him for the double won in the 2010/2011 season, yet the 60-year-old has little to show for it after that. Leading Lyon after Marseille, then Al-Nassr, to briefly stay at Napoli for the first half of the Scudetto hangover season.

Besides being briefly mentioned as a possibility for the coaching chair at the Allianz Arena, Rudi Garcia seems completely overlooked. A move to Saudi Arabia seems more likely than a notable job in Europe at the moment.

Thomas Tuchel (Germany) - last club: Bayern Munich in 2024

A bonus inclusion, as technically Thomas Tuchel is still a Bayern Munich manager, yet his reign ends on June 30th 2024. Although the word "reign" is bastardized in the case of Tuchel's Bavaria adventure. Even though he did make a Bundesliga comeback in the 2022/2023 season, he was fully disappointed in the following campaign, striking out in three competitions.

A man of short temper, Tuchel still has the best or at least second-best trophy haul out of all these best football managers without a job. Winning the Champions League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 twice, French Cups, German Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and multiple Super cups.

Of these best football managers without a job (in 2024), we can fully expect Antonio Conte to be the first to resolve his employment issue. Naturally, as he is the best of the 10 men here. With Mauricio Pochettino as the second.