Football Manager 2019: Best Managers

On Football Manager 2019, of course you should focus on your own game, but there are managers out there who will be stopping you from succeeding. You will want an understanding of what these bosses offer if you come up against them head-to-head, and which ones you can get in a war of words with. 

RealSport looks at the best managers on the game, with all the head coaches with a current ability (CA) rating of at least 150 featuring at the table at the end of this page. 

Pep Guardiola (CA 190 – PA 200)

Age: 47

Team: Manchester City

Nationality: Spain

Best attributes: 20 professionalism, 19 adaptability, 18 ambition

For a second year running, Pep Guardiola is the best manager on FM 19, and judging on last season it is no surprise. The Spaniard’s Manchester City side became the first Premier League outfit to reach 100 points in a season as they won the title and League Cup, adding to the three La Liga and three Bundesliga trophies he claimed with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively. He will be your biggest threat in Europe as he looks to claim a third Champions League victory. 

Carlo Ancelotti (CA 179 – PA 180)

Age: 59

Team: Napoli

Nationality: Italy

Best attributes: 19 pressure, 19 ambition, 16 temperament

A vastly experienced manager, Carlo Ancelotti has won league titles with Juventus, AC Milan and Bayern Munich as well as three Champions Leagues with Milan and Real Madrid. Now in charge of a dangerous Napoli side which has already defeated Liverpool this season, Ancelotti must be seen as a threat on your FM 19 save. 

Diego Simeone (CA 177 – PA 183)

Age: 48

Team: Atletico Madrid

Nationality: Argentina

Best attributes: 20 adaptability, 20 professionalism, 20 loyalty

Young and disciplined, expect to have a long tussle with Diego Simeone and his Atletico Madrid side on Football Manager 2019. You may think Atletico may not be a complete team, but after a positive transfer window, they have the quality to win trophies, having lifted La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the Europa League twice with Simeone at the helm.

Massimiliano Allegri (CA 177 – PA 180)

Age: 50

Team: Juventus

Nationality: Italy

Best attributes: 17 pressure, 16 professionalism, 16 ambition

A man who has worked his way up the divisions, Massimiliano Allegri won Serie C with Sassuolo back in 2008, and three years later lifted the Scudetto with AC Milan. Now in charge of Juventus, the Italian has had a hold of the league title, winning it four years on the bounce. European glory is what the club craves however, and after losing in the final twice, can he finally go one better with the firepower of Cristiano Ronaldo at his disposal?

Antonio Conte (CA 172 – PA 180)

Age: 49

Team: Unemployed

Nationality: Italy

Best attributes: 20 ambition, 18 pressure, 18 professionalism

Unemployed, but expect the first high-profile job to go to Antonio Conte on your FM 19 save. The 49-year-old has a great reputation after claiming Serie A three times on the trot before taking up the reigns of the Italian national team. After losing just four times in 25 matches, he moved to Chelsea, and claimed the Premier League in his first season, but an FA Cup success was not enough to save his job the following year as the Blues missed out on Champions League football. 

Jurgen Klopp (CA 170 – PA 185)

Age: 51

Team: Liverpool

Nationality: Germany

Best attributes: 19 ambition, 18 loyalty, 17 pressure

High octane football is what to expect when coming up against a Jurgen Klopp side, and with the German backing his style of play with some superb signings at Liverpool, the Reds are well-equipped to win their first Premier League title. Klopp is another man who has worked his way up the managerial ladder, first taking Mainz to the Bundesliga, and then winning the German top flight in successive years with Borussia Dortmund, including a league-cup double in 2012. The 51-year-old has lost in the Champions League final twice and Europa League final once, something he will be desperate to correct. 

Maurizio Sarri (CA 168 – PA 173)

Age: 59

Team: Chelsea

Nationality: Italy

Best attributes: 16 ambition, 15 loyalty, 15 professionalism

Chelsea’s new manager Maurizio Sarri may not have any silverware to his name, but he arrives in West London with a glowing reputation. With a clear, aggressive, attacking game his side have been a joy to watch in the Premier League so far this season, and he did the same with Napoli last season as they came within four points of Juventus in Serie A. Expect the 2017 'Serie A Coach of the Year' to break his trophy duck sooner rather than later. 

Luciano Spalletti (CA 167 – PA 172)

Age: 59

Team: Inter Milan

Nationality: Italy

Best attributes: 17 professionalism, 17 controversy, 16 ambition

Another Italian, Luciano Spalletti is a typical journeyman of the Serie A clubs. Twice manager of Roma before taking the Inter Milan job, the 59-year-old looks to have the Nerazzurri back towards their brilliant best. The twice named Serie A coach of the year claimed the Coppa Italia twice with Roma in 2007 and 2008, before heading for a spell in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg where he won the league on two occasions. 

Thomas Tuchel (CA 166 – PA 172)

Age: 44

Team: Paris Saint-Germain

Nationality: Germany

Best attributes: 19 professionalism, 19 ambition, 14 controversy

It was a slight surprise to see Thomas Tuchel given the PSG job having lifted just one trophy in his career, but aged 44 he is a hungry young manager. The German left his post as Borussia Dortmund boss after winning the German Cup in 2017 due to a disagreement with the board, and with just one defeat in his opening 18 games in France, it looks to have to have been a superb appointment by the Ligue 1 champions. 

Jose Pekerman (CA 165 – PA 180

Age: 68

Team: Colombia

Nationality: Argentina

Best attributes: 20 loyalty, 20 sportsmanship, 20 professionalism

Having never managed outside the Americas, it seems unlikely you will face Jose Pekerman, unless you fancy taking to the international scene. The 68-year-old has been in charge of both Argentina and Colombia, with his side featuring James Rodriguez lighting up the World Cup in 2014. On FM, he is still the Colombian boss, but with his contract up at the end of July, he could be out of a job before the domestic season kicks off. 

All the best Football Manager 2019 managers