10 Greatest French Managers in Football History [Ranked]

France has produced some of the finest football managers in the sport’s history, whose tactical acumen, leadership, and innovative strategies have left an indelible mark on the beautiful game. From pioneering legends to modern masterminds, French managers have not only achieved domestic and international success, but they have also influenced football’s modern form.

Managers hailing from France have made up a large proportion of coaches taking charge of top-tier clubs across Europe, with a knack of winning prestigious titles and nurturing talents who have gone on to become global superstars, just two assets that have helped the nation plot itself on the football map. And whether it’s orchestrating a World Cup triumph, dominating the Champions League, or transforming struggling teams into formidable contenders, these managers’ contributions to football are both significant and enduring, and ranking the best 10 to do it is similar to being handed a poisoned chalice.

Ranking Factors

• Achievements
• Impact on football
• Overall footballing legacy

10 Laurent Blanc

Teams managed: Bordeaux, France, PSG, Al-Rayyan & Lyon

Laurent Blanc’s fleeting reign as France boss was a controversial one. Following their group stage 2010 World Cup exit, in which they lost to South Africa and Mexico and played out a draw with Uruguay after scoring just one goal under Raymond Domenech, Blanc’s decision to suspend all 23 players for his first game in charge set the tone for the rest of his tenure. Les Bleus lost 2-1 in his maiden game, before an early departure at EURO 2012 via a quarter-final defeat to Spain led to his resignation.

The opposite can be said about his managerial career at club level. At Bordeaux, he led his side to a second-placed finish in Ligue 1, before setting a French record in his second season with 11 consecutive wins to pip Marseille to the league title, alongside a Coupe de la Ligue triumph. In Blanc’s third and final season, he helped Bordeaux top a Champions League group featuring Juventus and Bayern Munich without losing a match. This success continued at PSG a few years later, where he won three Ligue 1 titles in a row, concluding his management days having notched the division’s Manager of the Year award three times, as well as French Manager of the Year on two other occasions.

9 Michel Hidalgo

Teams managed: Menton & France

During a time when France were struggling with international misfortune, Michel Hidalgo helped the side turn a new page and get back to winning ways. After suffering a first-round elimination at the 1978 World Cup, Hidalgo led the team – spearheaded by none other than Michel Platini – to the semi-finals of the 1982 edition, where they lost to West Germany on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra-time, with France eventually finishing the tournament in fourth place.

Two years later he guided Les Bleus to European Championship glory on home soil, beating Spain 2–0 in the final in Paris, thus bringing about his nation’s first piece of major silverware. The exciting style he had his side playing came to be known as ‘champagne football’, while Hidalgo is also regarded as the architect of the French “carré magique” (magic square), which was a nickname given to the creative and talented four-man midfield of the France national side during the 80s, which was made up of Platini, Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana, and Luis Fernandez.

The most fascinating part about it all is that he was only ever a manager for eight years. Yet, his ability to instill a winning mentality in France will ensure his legacy lives eternally. Having tallied two World Cups and another European Championship since, Hidalgo really can claim that ‘the rest is history’ following his short but steep ascent as a vaunted football manager.

8 Jean-Claude Suaudeau

Teams managed: Nantes

When considering the greatest French managers, it is essential to include those who led the most successful club teams. FC Nantes, with their eight Ligue 1 titles, firmly hold a significant place in French football history. The 1994-95 team, in particular, remains unforgettable. In charge of that team was Jean-Claude “Coco” Suaudeau, who was able to emulate his playing career successes as a coach for the same side he plied his trade with for nine years.

Not only did they lift the league title in his first season, but they went 32 games unbeaten during a single campaign – a record still to be beaten. Players such as Claude Makelele, Christian Karembeu, Patrice Loko and Reynald Pedros starred in that side, but it will always be fondly remembered as the team that Coco built.

7 Robert Herbin

Teams managed: Saint-Etienne, Lyon, Al-Nassr, Strasbourg & Red Star

Robert Herbin was recognisable for his large red hair, and for his reserved personality he was known as “Le Sphinx”. During his career, it could be canvassed that Herbin didn’t chase success, but, curiously, success chased him. As a player, he won five league titles and three Coupe de France trophies with Saint-Etienne. Then, within four years of his last cup as a player, he won three straight league titles as a coach of the same club.

Throw in the remarkable achievement of winning three out of four Coupe de la Ligue’s on offer to him, a spot in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, a fourth league crown in 1981 and the result is one of French management’s most decorated tacticians, even if karma struck him hard immediately after leaving his position for fierce rivals Lyon – a club he failed to save from relegation.

6 Guy Roux

Teams managed: Auxerre & Lens

French football would be far different had Guy Roux not played a part. Although he is one of the least successful coaches on this list from the standpoint that trophies are the be-all and end-all of a results business, there is an awful lot to love about the football-obsessed former head coach.

At Auxerre, he became one of the longest-standing managers of all time, remaining a vital part of the club for an unprecedented 44 years, from 1961 to 2005. While his arrival came under bizarre circumstances, as he became a translator in a pre-season friendly against Crewe Alexandra, he would have an everlasting impact on the French city, winning them their only ever Ligue 1 title 32 years after being employed by Auxerre on the only basis that he was their cheapest option. Roux would continually develop talent at the Burgundy club, and his influence can be seen in France’s 1998 World Cup, as well as through all the coaches that have crossed his path, who rave about him to this day.

5 Albert Batteux

Having won the Ligue 1 title eight times, alongside tallying two European Cup runners-up medals, and three Coupe de France triumphs, Albert Batteux is the most successful coach in the history of French domestic football. First taking on the role as Reims manager at 29 years old, players were unconvinced by his credentials, and the proposition of such a young manager taking over a top division side.

But he proved his doubters wrong and the only reason he couldn’t become the first coach to lead a French side to continental glory was because he would meet the imperious Real Madrid in the final both times. In the two tournaments he guided France in, he led them to a third-placed finish in the 1958 World Cup and a fourth-placed finish in the 1960 European Championships.

4 Aime Jacquet

Teams managed: Lyon, Bordeux, Montpellier, Nancy & France

In recent memory, France has been labelled as a flamboyant football nation. By delving into the country’s deep pool of talent, which includes the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Aurelien Tchouameni, it is easy to figure out why. But this hasn’t always been the case.

After leading Bordeaux to two Coupe de France’s and three league titles in the 1980s, it was in international management where Aime Jacquet really earned his coaching badges. Initially appointed as Gerard Houllier’s assistant for the national team, failure to reach the ’94 World Cup saw Jacquet named provisional manager. And after reaching the semi-finals of Euro ’96, the foundations were laid for what would come two years later.

By transforming an exciting yet underachieving side into a well-organised and disciplined machine for the 1998 World Cup, Jacquet knew exactly how to get the best out of a team loaded with defensive qualities. Tactical astuteness from Jacquet saw them expose Brazil and set-pieces in the final, leading to Les Bleus’ first World Cup success via a 3-0 victory.

3 Zinedine Zidane

Teams managed: Real Madrid

Zinedine Zidane already has quite a compelling case for being France’s best-ever player – as well as up there with the best to ply their trade at Real Madrid – and the only thing stopping him from being further up in the management rankings is longevity. Although he is criticised for only ever managing Real Madrid, who were one of the best teams in the world at the time, numbers don’t lie, and anyone who argues against his trophy cabinet would be foolish.

In his initial two and a half seasons, Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row, winning the Super Cup and the Club World Cup twice each, as well as a La Liga title and a Supercopa de Espana. His success led to the Frenchman being named Best FIFA Men’s Coach in 2017. He resigned in 2018 before returning in 2021 to add another La Liga and a Supercopa de Espana title, polishing off a managerial tenure that saw him win 66 per cent of his 301 matches.

2 Didier Deschamps

Teams managed: Monaco, Juventus, Marseille & France

After captaining France to glory at the 1998 World Cup, it is fitting Didier Deschamps would then go on to manage them to their second Jules Rimet trophy 20 years later. The memorable 4-2 win over Croatia saw him become just the third man to win football’s ultimate prize as both player and manager.

Tasked with bouncing back from a disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign, Deschamps delivered in style. Besides the 2018 win, he has also led France to a Nations League triumph and final appearances at EURO 2016 and the 2022 World Cup, while Les Bleus also find themselves among the favourites for this summer’s European Championship – thanks, in part, to his supreme coaching abilities.

1 Arsene Wenger

Teams managed: Nancy, Monaco, Nagoya Grampus Eight & Arsenal

As one of the best Premier League managers of all time, Arsene Wenger completely changed the football landscape upon his arrival in England. By innovating training methods and emphasising the importance of diet and nutrition, Arsenal’s most successful manager is forever etched into football folklore.

But if that wasn’t enough to evidence the reasoning behind his number one placement, then his successes on the pitch should be more than ample. Wenger made a name for himself at Monaco by guiding them to a Ligue 1 trophy in his debut season in charge, before adding a Coupe de France title and leading them to the 1992 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Bookending an unexpected yet successful stint in Japan with Nagoya Grampus Eight, Wenger would then succeed Pat Rice as Arsenal manager in 1996. Across 22 years, he won three Premier League titles (the only manager in this list to win one), seven FA Cups, and went 49 games unbeaten between 2003 and 2004 to pilot the Gunners to an unprecedented Invincibles season.

All stats courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 18.06.24