A football match is not merely a competition between two teams, but also a playground for the tactics and creativity of the coaches. Their strategies, plans and direction are not only important factors but also determine the final outcome of the match. If you are curious about the youngest football coach and how they show their talent and vision on the pitch, then this article will be the ideal destination to explore further. Today let’s bestsoccertips dive into the journey of these young coaches and the success they have achieved, opening up a new perspective on young talent and their potential in international football.
Who is the youngest football coach?
1. Xabi Alonso
Just a year after officially taking over as Bayer Leverkusen’s head coach, this former elegant midfielder, who earned 114 caps for the Spanish national team, has built a resounding reputation in the coaching world by showcasing the potential to become a great coach. While it’s still too early to affirm anything definitively, the fact that Alonso is being eyed by his former clubs, Liverpool and Real Madrid, for their head coaching positions in the future is sufficient evidence of this man’s capability.
Alonso fully deserves the lavish praise he’s receiving, even if it may sound exaggerated, because he has rejuvenated a struggling Leverkusen. After being appointed as the club’s head coach last October, the Spanish strategist has propelled the German team from the bottom of the Bundesliga table to sixth place and into the Europa League semifinals—a remarkable transformation. This season, Alonso’s squad is currently topping the league table with 7 wins and 1 draw (a 2-2 away draw against reigning champions Bayern Munich) after 8 matches played in the German top flight.
The 3-4-3 system implemented by the 41-year-old coach has brought balance to Leverkusen, partly by providing more opportunities for attacking wing-backs and adding an extra center-back to minimize defensive vulnerabilities when losing possession in midfield. However, Leverkusen’s remarkable resurgence is not only due to tactics but also to Alonso’s high-level man-management and leadership skills.
2. Arne Slot
By turning down an offer to manage Tottenham in the summer, it seems Arne Slot values carefully managing his coaching career, prioritizing stability over hastily boosting his own reputation.
As a devotee of “high-pressing” football, a style rooted in energy, quick ball recovery, and utmost efficiency in transitioning, the Dutch coach—a highly charismatic and communicative figure, beloved by players—has openly expressed strong inspiration from masters of this art such as Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp.
Though Slot already boasts sky-high renown, he remains relatively new in the coaching scene. His tenure at AZ, where he began his coaching career, abruptly ended in December 2020 after preliminary negotiations with Feyenoord disappointed Alkmaar’s leadership. Nevertheless, he left AZ with the distinction of achieving their highest-ever points-per-game ratio of 2.11.
Taking over Feyenoord’s helm six months later, Slot, mainly employing his favored 4-2-3-1 formation, guided the club to the Conference League final and subsequently to the Eredivisie title in the following season. Personally, he was awarded the Rinus Michels Award for two consecutive seasons.
3. Sebastian Hoeness
Despite his surname—Hoeness being the son of former Bayern Munich center-forward Dieter and the grandson of Uli, a longstanding authority at the club—the Stuttgart head coach is carving out a promising career path of his own.
Having transitioned from a relatively modest playing career, Hoeness stepped into coaching at age 29, apprenticing at renowned academies such as those of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. In the summer of 2020, he was given the opportunity to lead Hoffenheim’s first team, and although his two seasons there ended without significant achievements, the coach demonstrated remarkable flexibility and impressive tactical acumen. Utilizing various systems and tactics interchangeably.
To date, Hoeness’ most notable achievement is helping Stuttgart avoid relegation in the previous season. From a position where they had only 8 matches left to play and were 5 points adrift of the playoff spot, Stuttgart miraculously escaped relegation by defeating Hamburg (with an aggregate score of 6-1) in the deciding two-legged playoff. This season, with the assistance of 14 goals from Serhou Guirassy, Hoeness’ team is proving to be a major surprise package in the Bundesliga, currently sitting in 2nd place just 1 point behind league leaders Leverkusen.
4. Francesco Farioli
The Italian coach has not followed the “traditional path” on his journey to becoming a head coach at one of the most ambitious clubs in the top 5 European leagues. Transitioning from his role as an assistant and goalkeeping coach under Roberto De Zerbi at Frosinone and Sassuolo, Farioli accepted an offer to lead Turkish club Karagümrük three years ago.
In a relatively unfamiliar environment, Farioli demonstrated enough to move to Alanyaspor and then surprisingly received the trust of Nice this summer. His achievements at two mid-table clubs in Turkey have proven his adaptability to unfamiliar environments, and initial results in France suggest Farioli could continue to develop his career in the country.
Despite facing difficulties in the opening matches of the 2023-24 season, Nice remains unbeaten in Ligue 1, notably with two away victories against PSG and Monaco. Fagioli openly acknowledges his admiration and gratitude to De Zerbi for the significant influence of the 44-year-old coach on his coaching career, and it’s no surprise that he shares similar principles with Brighton’s head coach. Under Fagioli’s leadership, Nice plays proactive football, with rapid ball recovery and attacking with numerical superiority.
At the age of 34, Francesco Farioli (Italy) is considered “an interesting discovery” of the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season. Among all coaches working in France’s top tier, Farioli is only “older” than Will Still, Reims’ head coach, who is 31. Still being relatively young and lacking experience in major competitions, having only coached in Turkey for about 2 years, Farioli was a gamble for Nice’s leadership last summer.
5. Will Still
Born in Belgium to British parents, Still has attracted global attention with his elevation to the position of head coach of Reims at just 30 years old following the departure of Óscar García in October last year.
Still’s previous experience in the football world was limited to years working as a video analysis specialist and 8 matches as interim head coach in the Belgian second division at the age of 24. However, under the leadership of this young strategist, Reims went on an impressive 17-match unbeaten streak in Ligue 1 2022-23 (during which time, the French club was fined €25,000 per match for Still’s lack of required coaching qualifications). At the current point of this season, the 31-year-old coach’s team is sitting at 6th place in the standings of the French Ligue 1, a truly commendable achievement.
From a tactical standpoint, Reims tends to prioritize efficiency and solidity, with Still’s favorite tactical formation being the 4-2-3-1 rather than experimentation and risk-taking, something often seen in young and inexperienced managers. Despite the media attention, Still remains very humble, often expressing gratitude for being entrusted with the responsibility of head coach at such a young age, while continuing to focus on developing himself tactically and building strong relationships with his players.
6. Thiago Motta
The former Brazilian midfielder is still primarily remembered for his illustrious playing career, including 30 appearances for Italy’s national team, but now Motta is building a promising coaching career although currently relatively modest. It would be fair to say that Motta is closely monitored by top clubs across Europe, partly due to his impressive personality characterized by frankness, diligence, and exuding authority.
Putting aside a short-lived 2-month tenure at Genoa in 2019, when Motta first took on the role of head coach at a professional club, it must be acknowledged that he has achieved some notable successes – firstly, helping a financially limited Spezia stay in Serie A in the 2021-22 season, contrary to most people’s predictions. Then, after failed contract renewal negotiations with Spezia, he moved on to lead Bologna and helped them finish 9th in the previous season, their best Serie A finish in over a decade.
Not surprisingly, Motta has tried to apply some of his own characteristics from his playing years to his coaching career. In the 4-2-3-1 system that this former midfielder deploys, Bologna is a team that is both determined and well-organized, extremely difficult to penetrate as they have only conceded 7 goals in 9 matches played in Serie A 2023-24 despite having the third-youngest squad in the league.
7. Jagoba Arrasate
In an era where many football managers crave media attention, often making “big sword” statements to embellish their reputation as if their livelihood depends on it, Arrasate is a head coach completely opposite to that style. The modest Basque coach rarely holds press conferences or engages in “verbal battles” with colleagues; he prefers to work quietly, focusing on his work on the training ground rather than desiring to see his name on headlines.
After taking over as head coach of Osasuna in 2018, Arrasate immediately helped them promote to La Liga, and since then the Pamplona-based team has never finished a season outside the top 11 positions. Their 7th-place finish in the previous season is the club’s best achievement in 11 years, alongside Arrasate leading them to the Copa del Rey final.
However, most importantly, throughout his 5-year tenure, this revered 45-year-old coach has endeavored to build a truly formidable “DNA” for Osasuna: a team that favors high pressing, is extremely passionate, and is considered to have the most direct and daring style of play in La Liga.
8. Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is truly one of the greatest coaches of all time. After leading Barcelona for 4 years, he played a crucial role in taking the Catalan club to the pinnacle of world football, winning a total of 14 titles, including 3 La Liga championships, 2 UEFA Champions League titles, 2 Copa del Rey titles, along with 3 Spanish Super Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, and 2 Club World Cup titles.
At Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola continued to demonstrate his strength with 5 titles, including 2 Bundesliga championships, 1 DFB-Pokal title, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and 1 Club World Cup title, bringing prosperity to the German club and creating unforgettable impressions in the history of world football.
9. André Villas-Boas
Although it cannot be said that Villas-Boas achieved great success when managing both Chelsea and Tottenham, his coaching career is still very admirable, especially considering he was only 37 years old. Villas-Boas’s shining form was evident right from his first season at Zenit, where he helped the Russian national team win the league and the Russian Super Cup.
Prior to that, at Porto, Villas-Boas led the team to a treble in the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese Cup, and the Europa League in the 2010/11 season, something not everyone can achieve.
10. Thomas Tuchel
Dortmund’s board made the decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel to replace the position vacated by Jurgen Klopp. The 41-year-old man is expected to become a new name, a “second Jurgen Klopp” at Signal Iduna Park, after the successes he achieved when coaching Mainz.
Before coming to Dortmund, Tuchel spent 5 years at Mainz, coaching the team in 182 matches, with 72 wins, 46 draws, and 64 losses. It can be seen that he had a long and impressive tenure at Mainz, and now, with high expectations from the football community, he will have to bring similar success to Dortmund.
Conclude
Hopefully, this article summarizing the youngest football coach in the world has provided useful information for you, helping you have more information to discuss football with your friends. I wish you every success!
See also: The 10 beautiful female football referee in the world
