International football has strict regulations with regards to the eligibility of players – but the rules are different for managers.
Players either need to have been born in or have a relative from that nation in order to qualify. If not, they can be eligible for a national side by virtue of gaining citizenship – usually after a long period spent in that country.
But for managers, there are no such requirements. And over the years, many nations have looked overseas for their coaching staff.
Here, a look at some of the nations in men's football that have employed a foreign manager...
16. Republic of Ireland
Despite initial scepticism following the appointment of an Englishman as coach, the Republic of Ireland enjoyed great success under former Three Lions defender Jack Charlton.
Charlton led the Irish to the knockout stages of back-to-back World Cups, reaching the last eight at Italia 90 before a narrow defeat to the hosts. He stepped down in 1995 after failure to qualify for Euro 96. Years later, legendary Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni managed Ireland between 2008 and 2013, overseeing qualification for Euro 2012 and winning the 2011 Nations Cup (against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
15. Cameroon
African national teams have long looked to Europe and South America for inspiration in coaching and Cameroon are a prime example.
The Indomitable Lions have won the African Cup of Nations five times and each of those triumphs came with a foreign coach: Yugoslavian Radivoje Ognjanović in 1984; Frenchmen Claude le Roy in 1988 and Pierre Lechanter in 2000; German Winfried Schäfer in 2002; and Belgian Hugo Broos in 2017. Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf also had a spell in charge in 2018-19, but won just four of his 13 games.
14. Scotland
After Craig Brown's eight-and-a--half-year tenure with Scotland came to an end in early 2002, former Germany boss Berti Vogts was appointed as the nation's first-ever foreign coach.
Vogts had led Germany to the title at Euro 96, but was less successful with Scotland, ultimately resigning in November 2004 after just nine wins in his 32 games in charge.
13. Russia
For a period of nine years between 2006 and 2015, Russia employed three foreign coaches: Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and Fabio Capello.
Hiddink was the most successful, leading Russia to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 but leaving the post in 2010 after failing to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. Russia did qualify for Euro 2008 under Advocaat and the 2010 World Cup with Capello, but failed to make it out of their group at either tournament.
12. Turkey
Former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella was appointed as Turkey coach in 2023 and led the Crescent-Stars to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Another Italian, Sandro Puppo, had four spells with Turkey in the 1950s and 1960s. More recently, Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Romanian Mircea Lucescu and German Stefan Kuntz have all taken charge of the Turkish team.
11. Japan
Zico finished his playing career in Japan and the legendary Brazilian forward later began coaching in the Asian country with Kashima Antlers. He went on to manage Japan for four years between 2002 and 2006.
Before Zico, Japan were coached for four years by Frenchman Philippe Troussier and briefly by another Brazilian – Falcão – in 1994. Later, former AC Milan and Lazio coach Alberto Zaccheroni led the Samurai Blue to the Asian Cup in 2011 amid a four-year tenure. Mexico's Javier Aguirre and Bosnian Vahid Halilhodžić have also had spells in charge.
10. Uruguay
Two-time World Cup winners and continental champions on 15 occasions, Uruguay have rarely looked elsewhere for coaches.
The Celeste have twice turned to Argentina for inspiration, though, with former Albiceleste World Cup winner Daniel Passarella in charge for a two-year spell between 1999 and 2001, and Marcelo Bielsa appointed as coach in 2023.
9. Spain
Spain may be blessed with some of the best coaches in the world these days, but La Roja sought inspiration from elsewhere in times gone by.
Legendary Argentine coach Helenio Herrera, who won two European Cups at Inter and also had a couple of spells at Barcelona, was in charge of Spain for six games between 1959 and 1960, then jointly alongside Pablo Hernández for three more in 1962. Hungarian great László Kubala managed Spain for 11 years between 1969 and 1980, with former Uruguay defender José Santamaría succeeding him for a two-year stint from 1980 to 1982. Both men had received Spanish citizenship during their careers at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, and had represented La Roja as players.
8. United States
With football traditionally and historically not as popular as other sports in the United States, the USA have often looked elsewhere for coaching expertise.
Serbia's ex-Mexico coach Bora Milutinović and Germany's Jürgen Klinsmann both got close to 100 games in charge of the USMNT, while Argentina's former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was appointed in September 2024.
7. Chile
Jorge Sampaoli took over from fellow Argentine Claudio Borghi and led Chile to their first-ever major title in men's football as La Roja beat Argentina on penalties to win the 2015 Copa América in Santiago.
A year later, Chile retained their title in the Copa América Centenario, this time with another Argentine in charge: Pizzi. A number of other Argentines have coached Chile, including Marcelo Bielsa, Eduardo Berizzo and Ricardo Gareca. Colombia's Reinaldo Rueda and Uruguay's Martín Lasarte have also had spells in charge of La Roja in recent years.
6. Mexico
Mexico have had a number of foreign coaches over the years, but none have spent as long in charge of El Tri as Serbian legend Bora Milutinović, who racked up 52 wins from 104 games across two spells in the 1980s and 1990s.
Several Argentines have coached Mexico, including 1978 World Cup winner César Luis Menotti, Gerardo Martino and Ricardo La Volpe. Sweden's former England boss Sven-Göran Eriksson had a brief stint in charge between 2008 and 2009, while Colombia's Juan Carlos Osorio led El Tri to 33 wins in his 52 games from 2015 to 2018.
5. Greece
German coach Otto Rehhagel spent nine years in charge of Greece, between 2001 and 2010, and the German led the Mediterranean nation to glory at Euro 2004.
After that, Greece were coached for four years by Fernando Santos, who went on to lead his own nation Portugal to victory at Euro 2016. Other foreign managers of the Greek national team include Uruguay's Gustavo Poyet, Italy's Claudio Ranieri, German Michael Skibbe and Dutchman John van 't Schip.
4. Belgium
Roberto Martínez spent six years in charge of the Belgian national team between 2016 and 2022, leading the Red Devils to third place at the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.
Martínez stood down after Belgium's group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup and was replaced by Italian-German coach Domenico Tedesco. Earlier, Belgium were managed by Scot William Maxwell (two spells in the 1910s and 1920s), Englishman Charles Bunyan (1914), Austrian Viktor Löwenfeld (early 1930s), Hungarians Jules Turnauer and Géza Toldi (1935 and early 1950s, respectively), Scotsman Doug Livingstone (1950s) and Dutchman Dick Advoccat (2009-10).
3. Portugal
Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed as Portugal's coach in 2003 and spent five years in charge, leading the team to the final of Euro 2004, the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the last eight at Euro 2008. Scolari was not Portugal's first Brazilian coach, though, with Otto Glória having had two spells with the Iberian nation in the 1960s.
After Fernando Santos' eight-year tenure came to an end in December 2022, Portugal opted to appoint another foreign coach: Spain's Roberto Martínez.
2. France
France briefly employed Spanish coach José Arribas, who had made his name with a one-touch passing game at Nantes, alongside Jean Snella after the 1966 World Cup.
Years later, Les Bleus appointed former Ajax coach Ştefan Kovács. The Romanian spent two years in charge, but won just six of his 15 games.
1. England
After Kevin Keegan's troubled tenure came to an end in 2000, England turned to Sven-Göran Eriksson. The Swede stayed for five years between 2001 and 2006, taking the Three Lions to the quarter-finals in three successive tournaments and winning 40 of his 67 games in charge.
And in 2008, England brought in Fabio Capello. The Italian was in charge for 42 matches, winning 28, but his side were well beaten by Germany in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup. Thomas Tuchel will be England's third foreign manager, with the German's appointment announced in October 2024.
