It is nice that the unfortunate year has ended. This year saw us being dominated by a substance, which is invisible to the naked eye. With the previous year ending with vaccines certainly getting ready, we wait for something better to happen in the ongoing 2021 and hope for Football to come up better.
With these in mind, we crown the top 5 managers of the last calendar year. This is certainly in no particular order:
Stefano Pioli:
AC Milan fans weren’t really happy and underwhelmed when Stefano Paoli was signed as the successor of Marco Giampaolo in October 2019. Many were angry as well. But the 55-year-old thoroughly showed his quality to his doubters this year, including those inside his own club. The Rossonerris have picked up more points than any Serie A club in 2020 that too with the spectre of Ralf Rangnick looming over him. Milan have gone unbeaten in their last 14 games and Pioli has outlasted all 8 of the previous managers.
Marcelo Bielsa:
Leeds had been trying to get back to the Premier League hard, very hard for the last 16 years and all of the managers failed. For some tactics weren’t at par, some had no budget to spend whereas some spent the purse on the wrong players. Marcelo Bielsa is not like any other manager. After falling short in his first season in charge at Elland Road, the Argentine stuck around for another chance at promotion and there was no sign of Bielsa-burnout in 2019/20 as the Whites cruised to the Championship title. Even though fighting against set world class teams haven’t been Leeds or Bielsa’s forte- they have actually given Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea a bitter run for their money.
Julen Lopetegui:
After leaving the National Team a day before the 2018 World Cup began and a horrendous spell with Real Madrid, Lopetegui was one of the worst thins to look at in 2018. Since then, he has turned his game around with Sevilla after being appointed as their manager in 2019. He has not only guided them to a fourth-place finish in La Liga in his first season, but also won the Europa League – his first club honour as a manager.
Jurgen Klopp:
In 2019, there had been some debate whatsoever that who had the better year- Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola. 2020 made sure only Klopp came out above. If Klopp wasn’t already a legend on Merseyside after getting them their 6th UCL, he secured that status as Liverpool romped to their first league title in three decades this year. Only one of the things he missed doing was going on a victory lap around the city with the team.
Hansi Flick:
When he replaced Niko Kovac in 2019, not much was known about him and people questioned his quality. When 2020 ended, most of them had shut up. Some may ask, what did he do? To start off a League which they obviously pick up every year, followed by a double with the cup, which is also not something which might bring accolades to him. Ultimately, he completed the treble with the UCL which the club had last won in 2013, that too in his first season. This just cannot be luck.
