Luis Enrique, Antonio Conte and the top 10 managerial jobs of the 2024-25 European season - ranked

When Kovac was appointed Borussia Dortmund boss on January 29, the team had slipped to 11th in the Bundesliga table with just seven wins from 19 games, and sat 22 points behind leaders and arch-rivals Bayern Munich. His predecessor, Nuri Sahin, had overseen progress into the Champions League knockout rounds, but the first half of the season was unquestionably a disaster for a club the size of BVB.

The tide did not immediately turn under Kovac, either, as the new manager lost four of his first six league matches in the dugout and a top-four finish faded into the distance. But, crucially, the Croatian then ditched Sahin's 4-2-3-1 formation for a 3-4-3, which made Dortmund far more cohesive as a defensive unit, and results subsequently began to improve.

Changing Dortmund's setup also sparked the forward line into life, with Serhou Guirassy, in particular, going goal crazy. Dortmund won seven and drew one of their final eight Bundesliga fixtures, scoring 26 goals, and clinched fourth place ahead of Freiburg on the final day of the season.

Kovac didn't just pull the club out of a crisis, he turned Dortmund into one of the most effective transition sides in Europe, as we also saw during their run to the Champions League quarter-finals that they can still mix it with Europe's elite. Suddenly, the future looks bright again for the Yellow and Blacks, and, as resurgent BVB forward Karim Adeyemi so eloquently put it, that's all because of the "kick in the ass" Kovac provided.

What a job Nuno has done at Nottingham Forest! He didn't get enough plaudits for keeping the club in the Premier League after walking into a dire situation midway through the 2023-24 campaign, and most outsiders expected another relegation battle this time around.

But Nuno had a plan for rapid growth and has executed it flawlessly. After strengthening with the summer additions of Nikola Milenkovic, Elliot Anderson and Morato, Forest quickly rose into top-four contention playing an effective brand of counter-attacking football that allowed Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White to flourish in the final third.

Forest's Champions League bid ran out of steam down the finishing stretch, but a Conference League berth for 2025-26 should not be sniffed at. The City Ground faithful hasn't seen any continental action in 30 years, and Nuno has cemented a place in Forest's Hall of Fame for bringing the team to this point so quickly - even if he ends up leaving amid reports of a breakdown in relations with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Former Leicester City manager Ranieri's reputation as a miracle-worker precedes him wherever he goes - that's what happens when you guide 1000-1 underdogs to a Premier League title. The Italian also performed the great escape with Cagliari in 2023-24 to end his career on a high, only for him to reverse his retirement decision six months later.

That's because Ranieri's beloved Roma were in dire straits, and he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. He returned to Stadio Olimpico for a third spell in charge in November, at which point the Giallorossi were down in 12th in Serie A, with both Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric paying the ultimate price for club's worst start to a season since 1979.

Bringing Ranieri back felt like an act of desperation at the time, and three losses in his first four games only fuelled that narrative. But he soon started to get the best out of Roma's biggest stars, most notably Mats Hummels, Leandro Paredes, Gianluca Mancini, and Matias Soule, and the team embarked on a thrilling 19-game unbeaten run in Serie A that ran from December 15 to May 12.

Incredibly, Roma went into the last day of the season knowing a top-four finish would be theirs if they beat Torino and Juventus failed to secure a win at Venezia. Ranieri's men did their job, but, in the end, so did Juve to leave the Olimpico faithful deflated. Make no mistake, though, Ranieri is still going back into retirement as a hero; at 73 years old, he defied all the odds again and reminded the entire world of his unparalleled skills as a man motivator.

Glasner made an instant impact at Palace after replacing Roy Hodgson in February of last year, winning seven of his first 13 Premier League games to steer the team to an unlikely 10th-place finish. But then the German saw the core of his team ripped out as Michael Olise, Jordan Ayew, and Joachim Andersen all departed in the summer transfer window.

Palace were able to bring in Eddie Nketiah, Maxence Lacroix, and Ismaila Sarr to fill those positions in time for the new season, but they still plummeted to the bottom of the table after eight matches, and Glasner faced uncomfortable questions over his future. CEO Steve Parish and the rest of the Eagles board resisted the urge to pull the trigger, though, and were soon rewarded for their patience.

After the turn of the year, Palace picked up eight Premier League wins, a total matched only by champions Liverpool, to pull well clear of danger. In fact, Glasner's side weren't too far away from the European spots, which was amazing considering they also put in a herculean effort to reach the FA Cup final, despatching Fulham and Aston Villa along the way.

The Eagles then pulled off one of the competition's greatest-ever upsets in the Wembley showpiece as they downed Manchester City courtesy of a wonderful breakaway goal from Eberechi Eze. Glasner became an instant immortal for delivering Palace's first-ever major trophy, and it could be the start of something very special if he stays for their 2025-26 Europa League campaign, because his team are now a high-octane powerhouse capable of going toe-to-toe with the very best.

How on earth do you follow the lead of a manager who brought Champions League football to Bologna for the first time? That was the question facing Italiano after he stepped into Thiago Motta's seat in the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara dugout last summer.

Italiano's cause wasn't helped by the sale of key duo Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee, either, but he reacted by making a series of shrewd signings, including Thijs Dallinga, Remo Freuler, Juan Miranda and Jens Odgaard. The new-look team didn't gel overnight, as Bologna won just one of their opening seven Serie A games in 2024-25 while struggling to juggle Champions League commitments, but a 2-0 win at Cagliari on October 29 sparked a turnaround in fortunes.

Bologna still exited Europe early, but boosted by club captain Lewis Ferguson's recovery from a serious knee injury, they gradually re-emerged as top-four contenders. Ferguson and Freuler formed an excellent partnership in the engine room, while at the top end of the pitch, Riccardo Orsolini, Dan Odoye and Santiago Castro all combined to great effect.

Bologna looked like shoo-ins for another fourth-place finish after winning seven out of nine between February and March, only to fall away in the final straight, but their salvation came in the Coppa Italia as they beat AC Milan 1-0 in the final to lift their first trophy in 51 years. It was a huge feat for the adaptable and unflappable Italiano, not only because he'd experienced three final defeats in his previous role at Fiorentina, but also because he prevented Bologna from being written off as merely one-season wonders.

Howe has done a fine job since taking over as Newcastle manager in November 2021, bringing Champions League football back to St James' Park for the first time since the Sir Bobby Robson era, but there were some doubts over his position heading into this campaign. That's because the Magpies slumped to seventh in the Premier League in 2023-24, which sparked talk that Howe was not the right man to start delivering trophies with the riches of their Saudi-backed ownership group to draw from.

No one is questioning the Englishman's credentials now, though. Howe helped Newcastle end their 70-year domestic trophy drought with success in the Carabao Cup, and masterminded their return to Europe's top table with a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League.

He owes a lot to prolific frontman Alexander Isak, midfield metronome Sandro Tonali and defensive giant Dan Burn, but Howe deserves most of the credit for Newcastle's resurgence. The former Bournemouth manager's tactical flexibility has given Newcastle the edge in a lot of the biggest matches, and the players have shown a willingness to run through brick walls for him.

Howe has earned the right to remain at the helm for Newcastle's ambitious 'Project 2030', and a title challenge will be the goal for next season - provided the Magpies can keep Isak away from their rivals.

Conte is a serial winner who brought title success to Juventus, Chelsea and Inter, but his reputation took a serious hit after his ill-fated stint at Tottenham. The Italian tactician alienated Spurs officials, players, and fans alike while adopting a 'woe-is-me' attitude in north London, and it was no surprise when the job offers didn't flood in after his sacking in March 2023.

However, Napoli handed Conte a career lifeline last summer, on the back of the worst title defence Serie A has ever seen. It was a challenge that reignited the fire in Conte, who set about reviving the Partnopei by raiding the Premier League for Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, and his former talisman at Inter, Romelu Lukaku.

Those three players provided the base for Napoli's glorious comeback. Ex-Manchester United midfielder McTominay was especially influential in an advanced role as he spearheaded the club's run to a fourth Scudetto with 16 goal contributions, earning Serie A's MVP award in the process.

Conte also helped the likes of Andre-Franck Anguissa, Alex Meret and Matteo Politano rediscover their best form, and somehow kept Napoli on Inter's heels even after the mid-season sale of star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, implementing a high-intensity system designed to ruthlessly exploit opponents' mistakes.

Taking Napoli from 10th to first is the greatest achievement of Conte's glittering career to date, and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis had no choice but do all he could to keep the 55-year-old amid talk of a potential return to Juventus.

It's an understatement to say that Slot had big shoes to fill after succeeding Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool hot seat. Klopp was a beloved figure who put the Reds back on top in both the Premier League and Champions League, and brought 'heavy metal' football to Anfield that took supporters' breath away on a weekly basis.

In many ways, Slot is the polar opposite of Klopp. The ex-Feyenoord boss is an understated manager who exudes a calm authority and places more of a focus on controlling the tempo of games than Klopp ever did. It might not be quite as eye-catching, but that approach has taken a Liverpool side that finished nine points behind champions Manchester City last season to far greater heights. The players adjusted to Slot's 4-2-3-1 system seamlessly and stormed to the Premier League summit, where they remained after beating Brighton 2-1 on November 2.

Liverpool won the title with four games to spare, boasted the best attacking record in the league, while only Arsenal conceded fewer goals. Slot brought the very best out of Mohamed Salah while also unlocking the full potential of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, allowing the club to move on from Klopp far sooner than anyone could have predicted.

Owners FSG needs to back Slot in the summer window to address a couple of weak spots, but the unflappable Dutchman has set Liverpool up for a new dynasty of success, and put himself on the map as one of the world's finest coaches.

Xavi's two-year reign as Barcelona boss was by no means a failure, given he delivered the 2022-23 La Liga title, but entertainment was in surprisingly short supply under the club's legendary former midfielder, and they were firmly in Real Madrid's shadow when he departed in May last year. To change that dynamic, Barca turned to former Bayern Munich treble-winner Flick, who has since brought back the scintillating brand of football the Blaugrana are known for, albeit with a few crucial tweaks.

Those include playing with a ridiculously high defensive line and going more direct, with a focus on controlling games through pace and power rather than possession. Barca have been easier to play through as a consequence, but they've also become the most devastating attacking outfit on the planet, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, resurgent ex-Leeds winger Raphinha and veteran No.9 Robert Lewandowski all running riot in the final third.

Flick's side take big risks knowing full well they can outscore anyone, including Real Madrid, who suffered four chastening Clasico losses to their arch-rivals this season. One of those came in the Copa del Rey final, while Barca also deservedly won back the Liga crown, and probably would have clinched the Champions League, too, had it not been for a series of questionable refereeing decisions in their semi-final loss to Inter.

Even Lionel Messi has described this version of Barca as "spectacular", which is just about the biggest compliment Flick could get. The German coach has essentially updated Johan Cruyff's total football model to put the Blaugrana back on the map, and a new dynasty could be born if the team continues on its current trajectory.

PSG have spent a fortune trying to conquer the Champions League under their Qatari owners, but aside from a runners-up finish in 2019-20, haven't really come close to lifting the most prestigious trophy in club football. There has been a conveyor belt of superstar names at Parc des Princes, including Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Angel Di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, but the breakthrough on the biggest stage has remained elusive because no manager has been able to mould them into a proper team.

Luis Enrique also failed to do that in his first season at PSG, but there was a major course correction for the club after Mbappe departed for Madrid last summer. Since then, the promotion of younger talent has been prioritised over marquee signings and the egotistical culture in the dressing room has been stamped out; PSG no longer rely on individual brilliance to win matches, they attack and defend together.

Luis Enrique still favours the 4-3-3 system based on dominating the ball that brought him so much success at Barca, but he's made subtle tweaks to bring the Parisians to the next level, including moving Ousmane Dembele into a No.9 role and giving flying full-backs Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi more licence to bomb forward.

Meanwhile, big money has been invested in the likes of Joao Neves, Desire Doue, Willian Pacho and Kvaratskhelia, but they were all carefully selected to fine-tune Luis Enrique's side, which has looked nigh-on flawless throughout the second half of the season as PSG have bagged a domestic double and reached their second Champions League final.

Luis Enrique has admitted he sees himself as "the best coach on the earth", and that will be indisputable if PSG finally reach the Promised Land by seeing off Inter in Munich on Saturday.