Who were the top five head coaches in Indian football in 2021?

These tacticians impressed fans & pundits alike with their strategic acumen in the year.

Looking back at 2021, it was a year of multiple firsts for Indian football. Take for instance, cases such as the women's national team playing against Brazil, FC Goa earning India's first AFC Champions League point, Gokulam Kerala becoming India's first representation at the AFC Women's Club Championship and Khalid Jamil becoming the Indian Super League's first-ever full-time Indian head coach. Of these, a few stood out for their contributions and accolades won over the course of the year.

Along with these teams, the head coaches in charge of them were also followed closely for the work done. Some of these tacticians won the hearts of fans and pundits alike. On that note, here's Khel Now's pick of the top five head coaches in Indian football in 2021.

5. Priya PV (Gokulam Kerala FC Women)

Former player turned head coach, Priya PV led the Malabarians to a third-place finish in the 2021 AFC Women's Club Championship. With that, they also became the first-ever Indian team to participate in the championship.

This came after a controversial decision by the AIFF (All Indian Football Federation) to suspend the Indian Women's League — which meant the defending champions (2020-21) would represent India at the tournament. However, Priya and her side, despite all these hindrances, finished third after a staggering 3-1 win in their last game against Uzbek side FC Bunyodkor.

4. Juan Ferrando (ATK Mohun Bagan)

Prior to his surprise move to ATK Mohun Bagan, Juan Ferrando played a pivotal role in upholding FC Goa's image as one of India's most dominant football clubs. After replacing Sergio Lobra, he brilliantly retained their stability in Indian football.

He led FC Goa to a fourth-place finish in the 2020-21 Indian Super League season — after narrowly missing out on a spot in the finals with a loss against Mumbai City on penalties. He also guided the Gaurs to their maiden AFC Champions League point with a draw against Qatar's Al-Rayyan — which was also India's first point there. Subsequently, they scored their first goal in the tournament on April 20 and finished third in their group eventually.

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Speaking of the ISL specifically, the 40-year-old managed to fashion a side that never gave up, showcased by the numerous late victories and draws. FC Goa became a team that adapted and improvised despite many challenges.

The Spaniard won the 130th edition of the Durand Cup on October 3, with a win against Mohammedan SC in the final. The Gaurs had a flawless run in the tournament, winning all six of their games. He also got redemption in the semi-finals by winning on penalties (7-6) against Bengaluru FC.

3. Vincenzo Alberto Annese (Gokulam Kerala FC Men)

The Italian tactician led the Gokulam Kerala to victories in the I-League as well as Kerala Premier League. In terms of the former, his side finished with 29 points in 15 matches and defeated TRAU FC in the finals. As a result, they also qualified for the 2022 AFC Cup group stage.

With this, they became Kerala's first club to win the I-League and the only one to participate in any AFC competitions. While for the latter, they won 2-1 against the Kerala State Electricity board in the final.

Overall, this was an extremely successful year for the Kerala-based side — winning accolades both with the men's and women's teams.

2. Manolo Marquez (Hyderabad FC)

The Spaniard replaced Albert Roca at Hyderabad FC after the latter departed to become Ronald Koeman's backroom staff at FC Barcelona. The 53-year-old pioneered a brilliant revival of the club after their last-place finish in the 2019-20 season. They finished fifth with 29 points in 20 games in the previous season, which included a 12 match unbeaten run in between.

Such results, with a relatively inexperienced squad recovering from the previous season's trauma, was simply fabulous, to say the least. He also nurtured youngsters for which he remains one of the most respected and loved head coaches in the ISL. For instance, his development of full-backs Asish Rai and Akash Mishra along with centre back Chinglensana Singh was and still remains crucial for Hyderabad FC.

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Not only that, but these three also performed well in their respective tournaments such as the U-23 AFC Cup qualifiers and the SAFF Championship —a feat for which the Spaniard is often praised by the Indian football community.

Currently, his side ranks fourth in the standings and has been delivering similar if not better performances than last time. How things turn out in the end though, is only a matter of time.

1. Sergio Lobera (Mumbai City FC)

Under Lobera, Mumbai City had their best season ever; winning both the ISL and the League Winners' Shield in 2020-21. The former FC Goa coach joined the Islanders at the start of the season, following the City Football Group's acquisition of the club earlier in 2020. He then made marquee signings such as Bartholomew Ogbeche, Hugo Boumous, Adam le Fondre, Mourtada Fall, Ahmed Jahouh and Mandar Rao Desai among others.

Within no time, he managed to assemble a terrific, well-balanced squad. Alongside, he ingrained his philosophy seamlessly into the squad while also instilling a sense of pragmatism in their gameplay.

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The Islanders began a dominant run in the league, winning 14 of their 23 games. Essentially, they were rampant throughout, even defeating ATK Mohun Bagan thrice despite them being just as superior to the rest. Subsequently, they had a few hiccups in between despite which they were resilient enough to eventually win the campaign; credits to their complacency by gaining a lead over the Mariners midway in the season.

Another aspect was his nurturing of young and talented Indian players. Alongside Manolo Marquez, he was another coach who developed the country's young prospects. In other words, he assisted the development of those such as Bipin Singh, Amey Ranawade and Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, who rose up in their gameplay and continue to do so in this season as well. Considering all of this, he ranks on top of our managerial standings.

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