Top five managers without a job in 2026

Many big-name managers are unemployed currently.

Managers have one of the toughest jobs on the planet. There is no greater job in the world when confidence is high, and results are flowing. However, the attitude quickly shifts when performance declines, and the manager is nearly invariably the one who suffers as a result.

Not even the best players in the game are exempt. Many high-level coaches are currently unemployed due to a combination of boardroom politics, public backlash, tactical stagnation, or just plain bad luck. And it’s not always simple to get back on the managerial ladder, despite what many people think.

These are a few of the top managers who are unemployed right now.

5. Xavi

Although Xavi was not nearly the idealist that many had anticipated, his practical nature brought real achievement, most notably, Barcelona’s LaLiga championship in 2022–2023.

The former midfielder was eventually absorbed by Barça’s notorious entorno, despite initially being viewed as the person who would lead the team into a new era amid growing off-field problems.

There were concerns about his long-term suitability at the highest level because his final season in command was tumultuous and inconsistent. An excellent manager, no question. It’s still up for question whether he can actually be an elite.

4. Sir Gareth Southgate

At first, Sir Gareth Southgate brought the England national team’s long-lost sense of unity to both players and fans. As one of England’s most successful managers based only on results, the former Middlesbrough manager resigned following Euro 2024.

It was not all positive, though. It was tough to accept defeats in two European Championship finals. Southgate’s cautious strategy was regularly criticised by parts of the English media and fan base.

It will be interesting to watch if Southgate decides to return to management at all—and, if so, where he makes his comeback after eight years on the Wembley bench.

3. Xabi Alonso

After a lacklustre 2024–25 season under Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid realised they needed to take a different route. After an incredible time at Bayer Leverkusen, former midfielder Xabi Alonso joined, and most people expected him to fit right in in his old surroundings.

But after only seven months, the Spaniard’s tenure as Madrid’s manager came to an end. President Florentino Pérez doubted Alonso’s ability to lead a successful long-term project in the capital because some players didn’t agree with the manager’s more hands-on strategy. He departed the team after they lost to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final at the beginning of 2026.

2. Jurgen Klopp

Although Jürgen Klopp has made it clear that he has no plans to take on another management position, the fact that he took a year-long leave of absence to become Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull group implies that he has a desire to satisfy an itch.

It is indisputable that the German is among the best instructors in the world. Klopp first broke Bayern Munich’s dominance of the Bundesliga by winning two consecutive titles with Borussia Dortmund before a legendary time at Liverpool produced the team’s first-ever Premier League title—ending a 30-year top-flight slump in the process—and a sixth Champions League victory.

1. Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane hasn’t had a job for a while, but it’s unclear if he’s actively looking for one. Clubs and national teams have undoubtedly heard from him, but he hasn’t returned to the dugout since leaving Real Madrid.

After leaving the Bernabéu for the first time in 2018, Zidane returned in 2019 and left again for the second and last time in 2021. Although he won a lot of awards during his time in Madrid, there has always been a discussion on how much of his success was due to his management skills vs the talented team he had at his disposal.

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