Bundesliga: Top five managers currently in German top flight

The tacticians in Germany have already made a reputation for themselves.

Bundesliga has often been looked as a hotbed of some of the most promising young footballers in the world. However, one should note that the managers who ply their trade in the German top-tier are immensely skillful as well. They present an approach towards the game that is captivating, engaging for the audience and put forth a dynamic brand of football.

Upcoming players tend to thrive in such setups and thereby induce elements to their skillset that further assists in improving the level at which the sport is played in the league. Needless to say, the managers heading the clubs have a critical role to play in this whole process. Here are five such tacticians who can arguably be referred to as the best in the Bundesliga.

5. Marco Rose

Having played a major chunk of his career under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp, the Borussia Monchengladbach manager has adopted a philosophy much akin to the Liverpool boss. Marco Rose stresses on a high-octane perspective towards the game. He has already attained incredible success with Red Bull Salzburg, as Rose claimed two consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles from 2017-2019.

He is one of the few modern-day managers to rely substantially on a central attacking midfielder, referred to as the number 10 on the field. Rose’s forward-line is fluid, churn out a laudable work-rate and constantly keep the ball moving or strive to win it back from the opposition. He joined Monchengladbach ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. The team scored 11 more goals and conceded two less in comparison the 2018-19 season.

They also bettered their final position in the league table and claimed the fourth spot at the end of 34 matches. Certainly, the club looks set to relish interesting times ahead under Marco Rose’s tutelage.

4. Peter Bosz

The widely travelled Dutchman has been a key personality and one of the more talked about tacticians in the Bundesliga in the last few years. After leading AFC Ajax to the Europa League final of 2016/17, Peter Bosz assumed the managerial duty at Borussia Dortmund. However, he had a rather mediocre start to his time with the Bundesliga giants as Dortmund particularly faltered in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Bosz was released from his duties in December 2017 and after waiting for over a year, he attained the job at Bayer Leverkusen in the 2018/19 season. He stimulated an instant revival at Leverkusen as the club secured a qualification to the Champions League by finishing at the fourth-spot in the standings.

It is particularly significant because they were languishing at the ninth place when Bosz had taken over the job. Borussia Monchengladbach narrowly surpassed Bayer Leverkusen to assume the fourth place in the final standings this time around but Peter Bosz has managed to create a significant impact in the league in his stint with the Die Werkself so far.

3. Lucien Favre

Lucien Favre propelled Borussia Dortmund to finish at the second spot in the Bundesliga in the 2019-20 campaign. The Swiss tactician has proven out to be a tactically astute manager.

He might not impose as forceful or high-intensity matches as some of his peers in the Bundesliga has. However, Favre manages to implement a procedure that relies significantly on the ability of the players to keep hold of the ball and efficiently pass it around without giving it away to the opposition.

The wider players in his setup have to contribute considerably on both ends of the pitch, as they are expected to track back and add up numbers in the backline in case the opposition makes an offensive move. This does not deter them from experimenting with their attacking endeavors, as the players regularly display a commendable combinational play going ahead on the field.

Borussia Dortmund seemed capable of firmly challenging Bayern Munich for the top spot at one point in the season, but they gradually fell behind in the race. Needless to say, the former Hertha BSC coach will be adamant on breaking the hegemony of the Bavarians in the next season.

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2. Hansi Flick

Overseeing a turnaround after Bayern Munich’s tumultuous spell under Niko Kovac, Hansi Flick has earned a contract lasting until 2023 as of now. He was appointed as an interim manager in November 2019 and was given the permanent role in the next month.

The 55-year old revitalized Bayern Munich's setup, managing to obtain the optimum performances out of some of the key players in the lineup. Joshua Kimmich is played as defensive midfielder instead of being shunted to the right-back role under Flick’s watch. The central role in the middle of the park allows Kimmich to dictate the tempo of the game and accordingly it lets Bayern to have more control over the proceedings.

Thomas Muller has excelled playing behind Robert Lewandowski and the duo enabled Bayern Munich to emerge victorious in the Bundesliga after a rare rather poor start to the season. It will be vital for Hansi Flick to ensure that his team replicates such encouraging performances in the European level too in the coming times.

1. Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann has emerged to become one of the most prominent young football managers in Europe. Hence, it wasn’t surprising when a supremely ambitious RB Leipzig side snapped him up as their manager ahead of any other bigwigs from other leagues. The 32-year-old’s dream run began when he took over the managerial job at 1899 Hoffenheim in February 2016.

The club was placed in the 17th position upon the time of Nagelsmann’s arrival. Firstly, he aided them in avoiding relegation and thereafter managed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for two consecutive seasons after claiming the fourth and the third spots in the 2016-17 and the 2017-18 Bundesliga campaigns respectively.

His tenure with RB Leipzig has been particularly impressive too, as the club attained the third spot in the table as they finished three points behind Borussia Dortmund. However, they have progressed well in the Champions League that includes a fantastic 4-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2020.

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