15 Highest Paid Football Managers in the World (2024)

Being a football manager is a thankless task. It brings an incredible amount of pressure, often without too much reward. Unless a manager retires or resigns, they will be sacked from their job as soon as results become less than satisfactory. But if they are good enough to manage at the top level, they will be extremely well paid for the gig.

An insane amount of money is flying around in the beautiful game, with elite players and managers being paid mind-blowing sums. The finances have only continued to grow over the years, especially with Saudi Pro League clubs handing out huge contracts to lure the likes of Steven Gerrard to their shores.

Due to this, we have outlined the 15 highest-paid managers in the world, stretching from the international game to the desperation to win the Champions League at certain clubs. The dynamic in the sport is consistently changing — and it’s likely these managers will be at the forefront.

15 Ange Postecoglou – Tottenham

Yearly Wage: £5m

Ange Postecoglou joined Tottenham in the summer of 2023 from Celtic. It was branded as a risky move for both parties, with the Australian never managing in a major European league beforehand. However, he adapted to the role with a swagger in his step, racking up the most points ever in his first 10 matches before guiding Spurs to Europa League qualification despite a severe injury crisis.

That deserves respect, particularly with his energetic and exciting style of play. It also warranted the hefty pay packet which he receives each month. If Postecoglou can lead Tottenham into Europe’s premier club competition, he could be in line for an even bigger financial reward.

14 Xabi Alonso – Bayer Leverkusen

Yearly Wage: £5.1m

Xabi Alonso guided Bayer Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2024. In doing so, he led them on the longest unbeaten streak out of the major leagues in Europe, something which was never expected just a year beforehand.

The Spaniard is loved by the club, players and fans, knowing they can trust him to inspire when the moment calls. They scored countless last-minute winners — and that’s partially due to Alonso’s confidence on the touchline. He was linked with a move to Liverpool and Bayern Munich in 2024, but he turned down offers of far larger salaries to stay at his current club.

13 Simone Inzaghi – Inter Milan

Yearly wage: £5.5m

After a few years of disappointment, Inter Milan have returned to the summit of Italian and European football, and Simone Inzaghi is a big reason why. The tactician has stamped his authority on the team since arriving in 2021, lifting several domestic cups with the Nerrazurri, and advancing to the Champions League final in 2022/23.

Deploying a dizzying style of fluid football, the former Lazio striker also won the Serie A title in 2024 by beating bitter rivals AC Milan. Inzaghi signed a one-year contract extension to stay at San Siro until 2026 in July, ensuring that he became the outright highest earner among managers in Italy’s top flight.

12 Steven Gerrard – Al-Ettifaq

Yearly wage: £6.5m

Before his contract extension was signed in early 2024, Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq had endured a two-month winless run and lost club captain Jordan Henderson to Ajax, with pressure starting to mount on the Liverpool legend. This is why his new deal came as such a shock to the football community.

Despite wild reports of an eight-digit figure, Gerrard’s 25% pay bump took him to a yearly wage of around £6.5m, according to Ben Jacobs. The Englishman is already starting to repay the faith shown in him by the hierarchy at the club. Al-Ettifaq’s form after the winter break was impressive and everyone involved will be hoping Gerrard continues to get the best out of his players.

11 Vincent Kompany – Bayern Munich

Yearly wage: £6.7m

Despite finding himself at the bottom of Bayern Munich’s potential list of managerial candidates in the summer of 2024 – behind a failed U-turn for Thomas Tuchel, the head coach who the club was sacking in the first place – Vincent Kompany has been handsomely rewarded upon his arrival in Bavaria. Just 18 short days after Burnley’s Premier League relegation was confirmed, the Clarets had their manager poached by the record Bundesliga champions. On top of Kompany’s steep salary – which is roughly £2m less than Tuchel took home during his solitary season in Munich – Bayern had to stump up a £10.2m compensation fee to extract the Belgian manager from his existing deal with Burnley.

10 Erik ten Hag – Manchester United

Yearly wage: £6.8m

The Manchester United manager will always be one of the most lucrative positions in world football, so it’s no shock to see Ten Hag among the highest earners. Although, some might question why he is still in charge at Old Trafford.

After a promising first year which saw the Red Devils qualify for the Champions League and win the League Cup under his watch, the club went backwards in 2023/24. They were knocked out in the group stages of the prestigious competition and the United dressing room was reportedly left divided over the Dutchman. Ten Hag kept his job but was dealt a 25% wage cut for failing to qualify for the Champions League.

9 Arne Slot – Liverpool

Yearly Wage: £6.8m

Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss in the summer of 2024. The German will go down as one of the greatest managers in the Reds’ history, yet it is now up to Slot to carry on his legacy at Anfield. Arriving from Feyenoord, where he won the Eredivisie once, the Dutchman has an exciting style of play and enjoyed a fast start to his time on Merseyside.

Liverpool didn’t splash out in Slot’s first transfer window – only making one major addition to the first-team squad in the form of Federico Chiesa for £10m. FSG can’t blame the lack of investment on their new manager’s wage demands – Slot takes home less than half the basic salary Klopp commanded last season.

8 Luis Enrique – Paris Saint-Germain

Yearly Wage: £7.5m

Luis Enrique has consistently been at the top of professional football for over a decade. After guiding Barcelona to a European treble, he is now occupying the hot seat in the French capital. Enrique won Ligue 1 during his first season at the club but crashed out of the Champions League semi-finals with a whimper.

The former Real Madrid midfielder will be hopeful they can change that for the 2024/25 campaign. After losing Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, PSG have opted for a team of young talents instead of a squad full of established superstars. It’s a risky move, yet Enrique has shown before that he can unite anyone.

7 Jorge Jesus – Al Hilal

Yearly Wage: £8.4m

Jorge Jesus has had a long and mixed managerial career. His most successful spell came with Benfica when he won the league title three times and reached the Europa League final twice. Now he finds himself in charge of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. As is the case with players moving to the Middle East, Jesus is on a luxury wage.

He previously managed the club in 2018, yet he has set the world alight in his second spell. Jesus won the 2023 Saudi Super Cup, King Cup, and Saudi Pro League, surpassing the 100-goal mark for the season and finishing with a record 96 points, 14 points ahead of their closest rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr. Talk about an immediate impact.

6 Jose Mourinho – Fenerbahce

Yearly wage: £8.9m

Jose Mourinho transcends the role of a football manager. After dethroning Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona vintage by leading Real Madrid to the 2011/12 La Liga title, the Spanish edition of Rolling Stone magazine named the Portuguese icon as its ‘Rockstar of the Year’. More than a decade later, Mourinho’s tactical supremacy has waned, but his global appeal is emphatically intact.

Five months after getting sacked by Roma, Mourinho was installed as Fenerbahce’s new head coach. The self-styled ‘Special One’ received a welcome fit for a conquering warlord. In front of thousands of adoring supporters, Mourinho declared: “This shirt is my skin.” The club’s board members are clearly big fans considering their new hire’s enormous salary.

5 Mikel Arteta – Arsenal

Yearly wage: £9m

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is the fifth best-paid manager in the world. Although it hasn’t always been easy going, the Spaniard has done an incredible job at the Emirates Stadium, getting rid of the deadwood while implementing an exciting brand of football which has put the Gunners back in the Premier League title picture.

Arsenal came so close to ending their title drought in 2022/23, and they missed out on glory on the final day of the season in 2024. Arteta’s deal is set to run until the summer of 2025, but given the job he’s doing, it would be a surprise not to see him agree fresh terms in north London.

4 Carlo Ancelotti – Real Madrid

Yearly wage: £9.6m

The most surprising thing about Ancelotti’s salary is arguably the fact he isn’t on as much as some of the other names on this list. The Italian has done an excellent job at the Bernabeu since arriving in 2021, adding two Champions Leagues and as many La Liga titles to his impressive trophy haul.

His work in Madrid has been rewarded with a contract extension, with Ancelotti signing a new deal with Los Blancos until 2026, having been linked with the Brazil managerial position. Kylian Mbappe was added to a glittering squad ahead of the 2024/25 season, which could see them add another title to their illustrious collection.

3 Diego Simeone – Atletico Madrid

Yearly wage: £10.1m

For years, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone was the highest-paid manager in the world – and by some distance. The explosive Argentine managed to topple Barcelona and Real Madrid on two different occasions to lift the La Liga title and led the club which he captained to a pair of Champions League finals – both of which were painfully lost to city rivals, Real.

Throughout the 2022/23 campaign – which was soured by underwhelming domestic displays and a disastrous group-stage Champions League exit, sparking ill-will in the crowd and boardroom – there were growing whispers that Simeone’s illustrious reign could come to an end. But El Cholo would not go gentle into that good night.

Crucially, Simeone’s players never lost faith in their coach and everyone else soon came around. The former Argentina international penned a four-year extension in November 2023 that came with a steep salary reduction, only improving Simeone’s legendary standing among a fanbase that once again adored El Cholo.

2 Pep Guardiola – Manchester City

Yearly wage: £20m

After a treble-winning campaign in 2023, many would assume that Guardiola is the highest-paid manager in the world. While he might be the highest-paid boss in England, he has to settle for second spot on this list. However, with four league titles won in a row, it’s easy to see why he’s on such a mammoth salary – especially when he’s considered to be the best manager in the world right now.

The journey that began in 2016 could end in 2025 as the Spanish boss is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal with the Citizens. This will end his stay at the English club after nine full seasons and a cabinet stuffed with trophies.

1 Roberto Mancini – Saudi Arabia

Yearly Wage: £21.5m

Roberto Mancini has been a legendary manager in every sense. He won Manchester City their first-ever Premier League title in the most dramatic scenario possible, whilst he guided Italy to Euro 2020 glory on penalties. The Italian is well-loved by countless people, and now he has embarked on a new journey in the Middle East.

He was appointed as head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team in August 2023 on a contract running until 2027. His first task saw him manage the Green Falcons through the 2023 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage, but they lost to South Korea 4-2 on penalties in the round of 16 in a disappointing fashion.

Data from ESPN, The Athletic, The Guardian and Diario AS.