FFT is used to ranking the world's 100 best footballers on an annual basis. Managers, though? Not so much.
When the team huddles around a table to discuss (well, fight about) the former each year, we have two clear measuring sticks to go by: form over the past year, and overall class.
Arguably, though, it'd be harsh (or generous, on the flip side) to judge a head honcho heavily on his last year's work – after all, one bad season doesn't make Jürgen Klopp an undesirable dugout dweller now.
There's still a generous nod to recent achievements, of which there are many among our crop, but a manager is made over time – or specifically, he makes himself – and that's what this list is really about.
Some managers have made it because they're straight-up winners; others for their almighty man-management or tactical nous. All of them share one key trait, though: the ability to lead, and lead well.
With those ideas in mind, we consulted with a clutch of our knowledgable writers from around the world to settle on a half-century of the planet's top bosses. Some of them may be new to you, many won't, but each of them has a story worth telling – and a rightful place in FFT's 50 Best Football Managers in the World.
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