Jose Mourinho is back in the Premier League after he was named the new manager of Tottenham. He now has an important task of rescuing Tottenham’s season after a disastrous start to the season. Tottenham currently sits at 14th position in the league table with 26 matches left. Jose Mourinho is now the second-highest-paid manager in world football after becoming Tottenham's new manager on a reported €17.5m-a-year contract.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 highest paid managers in the world after Mourinho’s comeback to management.
1. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) - €23 million
The Manchester City boss is the best-paid manager in the Premier League as he earns €23 million per year. He has led Manchester City to their first-ever domestic treble and has won five out of six domestic trophies. Manchester City currently are 4th in the league table after their 3-1 loss at Anfield. They are behind Liverpool, Leicester, and Chelsea in the league.
2. Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur) - €17.5 million
Jose, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract, will reportedly earn double what Mauricio Pochettino was earning at the club. Mourinho has won 25 trophies in his career as a manager and the club has banked on him as Tottenham seek silverware. So, he is now the second-highest paid manager in the world. Here's his first interview as Tottenham manager.
3. Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid) - €15 million
El Cholo is the highest-paid manager in La Liga and earns around €15 mn per year at Atletico. He spent three years at Atletico as a player and then came back as a manager in 2011. Since then he has led Atletico to some major success in Spain and in Europe. Thanks to him, Atletico is a major powerhouse in Europe. Atletico are currently third in the league with six wins & six draws.
4. Rafael Benitez (Dalian Yifang) - €13.5 million
The next big earner on our list is from the high paying Chinese Super League. Benitez earns €13.5 million per year at the Chinese club. He left Newcastle for Dalian Yifang and earns double the salary he was paid at St. James Park. He led Newcastle back to the Premier League in 2017 and the Magpies finished 10th in the league. Benitez revealed that his whole squad was rewarded with a bonus after Newcastle finished 10th in their first season back in the top flight, except his coaching team. He said it felt like a punishment for him not committing his future to the club.
In an exclusive column with The Athletic, he wrote:
“Newcastle’s board had a year to sort out my contract but, when we met after the end of last season, they didn’t make me an offer I could accept.
“After that meeting, I knew they would not come back with a serious offer and, when it arrived, 19 days later, it was for the same salary as three years earlier and with less control over signings.
“After three years of unfulfilled promises, I didn’t trust them.”
5. Fabio Cannavaro (Guangzhou Evergrande) - €12 million
Another name on our list from the high paying Chinese Super League, Fabio Cannavaro. He earns a staggering €12 million at the league leaders. He previously managed Guangzhou in 2014-15 season. He was re-appointed as their manager in 2017. He led the club to the Chinese FA Super Cup victory in 2018. Guangzhou are currently the league leaders with 63 points. The club criticised Cannavaro for not being strict enough with the players and was ordered to attend 'culture class'. He has returned after accepting the criticism from the board.
6. Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid CF) - €12 million
Zinedine Zidane re-joined Real Madrid job in March and got a hefty pay rise on the €7.5 mn, he was reported to be earning during his first spell as Madrid coach. This time around, he is said to be earning a net salary of €12m in the Spanish capital. Under him, Real Madrid are 2nd in the league table, behind defending champions FC Barcelona(on goal difference).
7. Antonio Conte (FC Inter Milan) - €11 million
Conte was sacked by Chelsea in 2018 and after a year he joined Inter. At Inter he is paid €11 million per year, making him the highest-paid manager in Serie A and deservedly so, Inter have won 10 out of 12 games in Serie A under him. Under him, Inter are 2nd in the league table, one point behind leaders Juventus.
8. Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain) - €9 million
PSG boss Thomas Tuchel is the highest earning manager in Ligue 1 and is 8th on our list. PSG haven’t started this season well as they’ve already lost three games in the league. But still, they are leading the league table by eight points. Crazy, isn’t it ?!
9. Ernesto Valverde (FC Barcelona) - €9 million
Ernesto Valverde has so far enjoyed a monopoly in La Liga after winning the league title in each of his first two seasons at Camp Nou, although he has fallen short in Europe. He earns €9 million per year at the Camp Nou and is the third highest-paid manager in La Liga. He has a contract until the end of this season, with the option of a further year.
10. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool FC) - €8 million
Klopp completes our top 10 list on €8 m-a-year. With Liverpool currently eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and reigning as European champion, that’s worth it. That money doesn't make him anything like the best-paid manager in the Premier League, but for the Reds’ fans, he’s worth every penny.
