The longest managerial reign in association football belongs to Englishman Fred Everiss, who was manager of Football League team West Bromwich Albion for over 45 years, starting his reign in 1902 and ending when he retired in 1948. [1] The longest post-war reign belongs to Frenchman Guy Roux, who managed Auxerre in three separate reigns totalling 44 years, taking them from France's fifth division to become Division 1 champions in 1996. [2] [3]
Managerial reigns in football have decreased since the 1960s, and by 2015, the average spell in England's top four divisions was 1.23 years. [4] [5] Managers such as Pep Guardiola and Béla Guttmann have been proponents of a "three-year rule", [6] [7] as has football journalist and author Jonathan Wilson, who writes that managers can succumb to a "fatalistic idealism" beyond this period, describing it as similar to a Greek tragedy. [8]
In the early decades of organised football, team selection was often conducted by committee among the club directors, with an appointed 'secretary-manager' dealing with player contracts and other administrative tasks, assisted by 'trainers' dealing with coaching and fitness matters. [9] [10] As the secretary role was largely clerical and often occupied by one of the directors, they tended to remain in post for many years regardless of results in the short term. Until after World War I, some clubs never had a manager by name.
As demands and expectations on officials increased both on and off the field, gradually specialist roles became commonplace, and by the end of the 1930s, it was common for clubs in the British Isles to have an official manager as a figurehead dealing with most or all team matters, but with less long-term job security than the secretary-managers of old. Elsewhere, the separation between the office and pitchside functions persisted: the head coach in charge of training and match tactics became increasingly respected and prominent, but meanwhile while a figure closer to the ownership in the role of general manager, sporting director [11] [12] or director of football [13] [14] maintained control over financial and commercial aspects, with the levels of influence and balance of power between the coach and director varying between clubs and nations. [15] [16] [17] [18] As in the earlier era, the director would often have a tenure of several years to oversee the overall progress of the club, while the head coach would typically keep their job only for as long as the on-field results were positive.
For the purpose of this list, a separation has been made between pre-World War II reigns, which includes many secretary-managers, and the period after the conflict ended when regular competitions resumed in most countries, and longer managerial/head coach appointments became far less commonplace. For those whose terms spanned World War II, they have been placed in the section covering the majority of their reign. Long serving head coaches in international football are also recorded separately below.
Rank | Manager | Club | From | To | Length | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1902 | 31 May 1948 | 45 years, 9 months and 30 days | [1] [19] [20] |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1897 | 1 February 1940 | 42 years and 5 months | [19] [21] [22] |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1884 | 31 May 1926 | 41 years, 9 months and 30 days | [23] [24] [25] |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1885 | 1 June 1922 | 36 years and 10 months | [26] [27] |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 30 April 1911 | 1 May 1946 | 35 years and 1 day | [28] |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1895 | 1 January 1930 | 34 years and 5 months | [29] |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 May 1920 | 15 June 1954 | 34 years and 26 days | [19] [22] [30] |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1899 | 1 April 1932 | 32 years and 11 months | [31] |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1902 | 1 April 1933 | 30 years and 9 months | [32] |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1902 | 1 November 1932 | 30 years and 7 months | [33] |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1891 | 31 May 1920 | 28 years, 9 months and 30 days | [34] |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1910 | 1 April 1938 | 27 years and 8 months | [35] |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1907 | 1 June 1933 | 25 years and 10 months | [36] |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 August 1908 | 21 April 1934 | 25 years, 8 months and 6 days | [37] |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 August 1903 | 1 April 1929 | 25 years, 7 months and 17 days | [38] [39] |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 February 1905 | 1 June 1930 | 25 years, 3 months and 17 days | [40] |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1919 | 1 August 1944 | 25 years and 1 month | [41] |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1912 | 31 May 1935 | 22 years, 9 months and 30 days | [42] |
19 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1905 | 5 May 1928 | 22 years, 9 months and 4 days | [43] |
20 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1926 | 1 February 1949 | 22 years and 9 months | [44] |
21 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1892 | 31 May 1908 | 22 years and 9 months | [45] |
22 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1911 | 1 May 1933 | 22 years | [46] |
23 | ![]() | ![]() | 16 August 1902 | 9 February 1924 | 21 years, 5 months and 24 days | [47] [48] |
24 | ![]() | ![]() | 19 August 1899 | 2 May 1920 | 20 years, 8 months and 13 days | [49] |
25 | ![]() | ![]() | 3 October 1925 | 26 January 1946 | 20 years, 3 months and 23 days | [50] |
26 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 August 1904 | 19 April 1924 | 19 years, 7 months and 30 days | [51] [52] |
27 | ![]() | ![]() | 26 July 1896 | 16 May 1915 | 18 years, 9 months and 20 days | [53] |
28 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1907 | 1 November 1925 | 18 years and 7 months | [54] |
29 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 August 1919 | 11 December 1937 | 18 years, 3 months and 26 days | [55] |
30 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 November 1932 | 1 August 1950 | 17 years and 9 months | [56] |
31 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 August 1929 | 3 May 1947 | 17 years, 8 months and 23 days | [57] |
32 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 October 1908 | 28 March 1926 | 17 years, 5 months and 11 days | [58] |
33 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 December 1906 | 24 April 1924 | 17 years, 4 months and 2 days | [59] |
34 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1901 | 31 May 1918 | 16 years, 9 months and 30 days | [60] |
35 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1927 | 31 March 1944 | 16 years, 8 months and 30 days | [27] [61] |
36 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1906 | 30 June 1922 | 15 years, 10 months and 29 days | [62] |
37 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1919 | 31 May 1935 | 15 years, 9 months and 30 days | [63] |
38 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1910 | 31 May 1926 | 15 years, 9 months and 30 days | [64] |
39 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1925 | 1 May 1941 | 15 years and 9 months | [65] |
40 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 November 1905 | 30 June 1921 | 15 years, 7 months and 29 days | [66] |
41 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 November 1919 | 27 April 1935 | 15 years, 5 months and 5 days | [67] |
42 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1934 | 30 May 1949 | 15 years and 29 days | [68] [69] |
43 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 April 1935 | 1 May 1950 | 15 years and 4 days | [70] [71] |
44 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1910 | 30 June 1925 | 14 years, 9 months and 29 days | |
45 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 March 1932 | 1 November 1946 | 14 years and 8 months | [72] |
46 | ![]() | ![]() | 31 July 1910 | 4 December 1924 | 14 years, 5 months and 30 days | [73] |
47 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 August 1904 | 1 February 1919 | 14 years, 5 months and 12 days | [74] |
48 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1913 | 1 February 1927 | 14 years and 1 month | [75] |
49 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1920 | 1 December 1933 | 13 years and 6 months | [76] |
50 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1924 | 20 November 1937 | 13 years, 3 months and 19 days | [77] [78] |
Rank | Manager | Club | From | To | Length | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1963 | 1 January 2013 | 50 years | [79] |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1961 | 30 June 2005 | 43 years, 11 months and 29 days | [22] [80] [81] |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 12 August 1972 | 1 June 2005 | 32 years, 9 months and 20 days | [82] |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 December 1986 | 5 March 2016 | 29 years, 3 months and 4 days | [22] [83] |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 November 1986 | 19 May 2013 | 26 years, 6 months and 13 days | [22] [80] |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1968 | 27 October 1992 | 24 years, 3 months and 26 days | [80] [84] |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | 9 June 1983 | 1 July 2007 | 24 years and 22 days | [80] |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1983 | 1 June 2007 | 23 years and 10 months | [22] |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 October 1945 | 4 June 1969 | 23 years, 8 months and 3 days | [85] |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | 16 May 1933 | 1 October 1956 | 23 years, 4 months and 15 days | [86] |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | 19 August 1935 | 30 April 1958 | 22 years, 8 months and 11 days | [87] |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 October 1996 | 13 May 2018 | 21 years, 7 months and 12 days | [80] |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 December 1971 | 15 May 1993 | 21 years, 5 months and 9 days | [88] [89] |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 2001 | 2 April 2022 | 20 years, 9 months and 1 day | [90] |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1932 | 1 August 1952 | 20 years and 2 months | [91] |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | 11 August 1945 | 6 March 1965 | 19 years, 6 months and 23 days | [92] [93] |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | 23 February 2005 | 17 July 2024 | 19 years, 4 months and 24 days | [94] |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 November 1937 | 28 April 1956 | 18 years, 5 months and 1 day | [95] |
19 | ![]() | ![]() | 3 January 1975 | 8 May 1993 | 18 years, 4 months and 5 days | [80] |
20 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1955 | 18 November 1973 | 18 years, 2 months and 17 days | [96] |
21 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1939 | 1 June 1957 | 18 years and 2 months | [97] |
22 | ![]() | ![]() | 30 April 1979 | 10 December 1994 | 17 years, 4 months and 2 days | [98] [99] |
23 | ![]() | ![]() | 25 December 1937 | 23 April 1955 | 17 years, 3 months and 29 days | [100] [101] |
24 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 January 1997 | 30 April 2014 | 17 years, 3 months and 26 days | [102] |
25 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 October 1962 | 19 January 1980 | 17 years, 3 months and 13 days | [103] |
26 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 2004 | 1 November 2021 | 17 years and 2 months | [104] [105] |
27 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 October 2005 | 18 August 2022 | 16 years, 10 months and 8 days | [106] [107] |
28 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 October 1951 | 1 August 1968 | 16 years and 10 months | [108] |
29 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1960 | 22 March 1977 | 16 years, 9 months and 21 days | [80] |
30 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 September 2007 | Present | 16 years, 10 months and 2 days | [109] |
31 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 2006 | 31 December 2022 | 16 years, 4 months and 30 days | [110] |
32 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1942 | 31 July 1958 | 16 years, 3 months and 30 days | [111] |
33 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1948 | 1 August 1964 | 16 years and 2 months | [27] [112] |
34 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1999 | 1 January 2015 | 16 years | [113] |
35 | ![]() | ![]() | 14 July 1960 | 30 June 1976 | 15 years, 11 months and 16 days | [80] |
36 | ![]() | ![]() Zulte Waregem [lower-alpha 1] | 1 July 1994 | 9 June 2010 | 15 years, 11 months and 8 days | [22] |
37 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1991 | 27 May 2007 | 15 years, 10 months and 26 days | [80] |
38 | ![]() | ![]() | 11 October 1958 | 29 August 1974 | 15 years, 10 months and 18 days | [114] [115] |
39 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 August 2008 | Present | 15 years, 11 months and 15 days | [116] |
40 | ![]() | ![]() | 23 February 1946 | 14 October 1961 | 15 years, 7 months and 21 days | [117] |
41 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 February 1951 | 24 September 1966 | 15 years, 7 months and 7 days | [118] |
42 | ![]() | ![]() | 28 October 1939 | 29 January 1955 | 15 years, 3 months and 1 day | [119] |
43 | ![]() | ![]() | 5 December 1983 | 18 January 1999 | 15 years, 1 month and 13 days | [120] [121] |
44 | ![]() | ![]() | 21 March 2009 | 3 May 2024 | 15 years, 1 month and 12 days | [122] |
45 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 May 2009 | Present | 15 years, 1 month and 29 days | [123] |
46 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 April 1946 | 29 April 1961 | 15 years and 9 days | [124] |
47 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1985 | 30 June 2000 | 14 years, 11 months and 29 days | [125] |
48 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1936 | 28 February 1951 | 14 years, 9 months and 27 days | [126] |
49 | ![]() | ![]() | 16 August 1974 | 5 June 1989 | 14 years, 9 months and 20 days | [80] |
50 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 August 2009 | Present | 14 years, 11 months and 15 days | [127] |
51 | ![]() | ![]() | 14 December 1959 | 12 July 1974 | 14 years, 6 months and 28 days | [128] |
52 | ![]() | ![]() | 2 April 1981 | 30 June 1995 | 14 years, 2 months and 28 days | [129] |
53 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 May 1999 | 18 May 2013 | 14 years and 8 days | [129] [130] |
54 | ![]() | ![]() | 31 January 1948 | 4 November 1961 | 13 years, 9 months and 4 days | [131] |
55 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 April 1960 | 15 January 1974 | 13 years, 8 months and 29 days | [132] |
Rank | Manager | National team | From | To | Length | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1988 | 30 July 2015 | 27 years, 6 months and 29 days | [134] |
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 13 August 1939 | 15 June 1958 | 18 years, 10 months and 2 days | [135] |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 December 1929 | 5 August 1948 | 18 years, 8 months and 4 days | [19] [22] [136] |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 5 October 1919 [lower-alpha 2] | 17 February 1937 | 17 years, 4 months and 12 days | [136] [137] |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 28 September 1946 | 21 November 1962 | 16 years, 1 month and 24 days | [136] [138] |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 25 September 1985 | 10 June 2001 | 15 years, 8 months and 16 days | [136] [139] |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 7 March 2006 | 19 November 2021 | 15 years, 8 months and 12 days | [140] |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | 26 March 1921 | 27 September 1936 | 15 years, 6 months and 1 day | [141] |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 2000 | 17 November 2015 | 15 years, 4 months and 16 days | [136] [142] |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 March 1925 | 21 April 1940 | 15 years, 1 month and 6 days | [136] [143] |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 October 1998 | 15 October 2013 | 15 years and 5 days | [136] [144] |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | 12 July 2006 | 29 June 2021 | 14 years, 11 months and 17 days | [145] |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | 2 February 2010 | Present | 14 years, 5 months and 17 days | [146] |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 August 2010 | Present | 13 years, 11 months and 15 days | [147] |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | 26 March 1980 | 17 November 1993 | 13 years, 7 months and 22 days | [136] [148] |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 November 1964 | 21 June 1978 | 13 years, 7 months and 17 days | [136] [149] |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 November 1950 | 7 June 1964 | 13 years, 6 months and 16 days | [136] [150] |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 May 1976 | 8 June 1989 | 13 years and 17 days | [136] [151] |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | 19 June 1962 | 9 October 1974 | 12 years, 3 months and 20 days | [152] |
19 | ![]() | ![]() | 8 July 2012 | Present | 12 years and 11 days | [153] |
20 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 February 1963 | 3 April 1974 | 11 years, 1 month and 7 days | [154] |
21 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1970 | 31 May 1981 | 11 years and 30 days | [155] |
22 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1922 | 1 January 1933 | 11 years | [156] |
23 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1999 | 1 February 2010 | 10 years and 9 months | [157] |
24 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1979 | 1 April 1990 | 10 years and 9 months | [158] |
25 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 September 1975 | 17 June 1986 | 10 years, 8 months and 21 days | [159] |
26 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 October 1951 | 9 May 1962 | 10 years, 7 months and 3 days | [160] |
27 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1964 | 30 June 1974 | 9 years, 9 months and 29 days | [161] |
28 | ![]() | ![]() | 5 March 2015 | Present | 9 years, 4 months and 14 days | |
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