Jose Mourinho and the 25 Best Managers in Football Right Now

A team's manager is there to bring that extra dynamic, their own strategy to greatness and get the best out of their players.

Formation selection, training regiments, tactical approach, squad building and man management skills are traits that all great managers look to master in their own way. 

The task of pushing each player to work to their strengths, and more importantly, play to their teammates' weaknesses is the mark of a great manager.

Come kick off, managers dictate every aspect of the game, and finding a good coach is about as easy as it to be one (just ask Florentino Perez or Massimo Moratti). 

That being said, let's take a quick look the top managers in football right now.

(Names appear in no particular order.)

Guus Hiddink

Quote: "When you are a big team, you must punish a little team"

Current Team: Turkey

Teams Coached: De Graafschap, PSV, Fenerbahce, Valencia, Netherlands, Real Madrid, Real Betis, South Korea, Australia, Russia, Chelsea, Turkey

Total Trophies: 14

The highest paid manager in international football in 2009, Hiddink has been one of the best coaches of the past 20 years.

On the international scene, he made it to two world cup semi finals in a row (in 1998 with the Netherlands and in 2002 with South Korea) as well as a first ever second round appearance for Australia in 2006.

On the club circuit he lifted 12 trophies with PSV as well as securing an FA Cup with Chelsea during his stint as caretaker in 2009.

'Lucky Guus" will now be looking to lead Turkey deep into the Euro 2012 finals. 

Vincente Del Bosque

Quote: "Our aim is to show good football"

Current Team: Spain

Teams Coached: Real Madrid, Besiktas, Spain 

Total Trophies: Eight

After an already impressive career as a club manager, Del Bosque's status as a legend was secured after he led the national side to their first ever World Cup victory in 2010.

He was also in charge of Real Madrid during their most successful period of the modern era, lifting the Champions League in 2000, and 2002, as well as two La Liga titles.

In doing so he is one of only two managers to win both the Champions League and the World Cup. 

Pep Guardiola

Quote: “Gentlemen, if you lose today, you will continue to be the best in the world, but if you win today, you will be eternal.”

Current Team: Barcelona

Teams Coached: Barcelona

Total Trophies: 12

What a way to begin to your career as a senior manager.

In his very first season as the Barcelona boss in 2008, Guardiola clinched a maximum possible six trophies.

In winning the Champions League that year, Pep became the youngest manager to ever lift the cup.

Barcelona have been flying since, winning six more trophies, leading many to argue their status among all time great teams. 

Louis Van Gaal

Quote: "Am I that smart, or are you that dumb?"

Current Team: none

Teams Coached: Ajax, Barcelona, Netherlands, AZ, Bayern Munich

Total Trophies: 19

Louis Van Gaal also saw much success during his first gig as manager with Ajax.

Van Gaal won the Dutch league three times including going the entirety of the 94-95 season unbeaten.

That same season, Ajax were also undefeated in the Champions League, and clinched the title after beating Milan in the Final.

It was his most successful period as a manager and went on to win another four trophies with Barcelona and three with Bayern Munich. 

Arsene Wenger

Quote: "If you can convince me that the principles are wrong, then I am ready. But I feel we try to play football the proper way."

Current team: Arsenal

Teams Coached: Nancy-Lorraine, Monaco, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Arsenal 

Total Trophies: 15

The longest serving manager in club history, Wenger has elevated Arsenal to the international brand they are today.

Always looking to entertain with his football, Wenger is a master at developing talent.

His ability to spot players young and mold them into World Class stars has been extraordinary in his 25 years as a manager. 

Ottmar Hitzfeld

Quote:  "I've met him at UEFA meetings, and his behaviour is faithful to his image: arrogant, haughty, chewing gum and somewhat of a boor." - speaking about Jose Mourinho

Current Team: Switzerland

Teams Coached: SC Zug, FC Aarau, Grasshopper Club Zurich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Switzerland

Total Trophies: 25

After coaching in Switzerland for various teams, Ottmar Hitzfeld took charge of Borussia Dortmund in 1991.

Six years and two Bundesliga titles later, Hitzfeld led Dortmund to a historic victory over Juventus to seal the 1997 Champions League title.

Hitzfeld then took over at Bayern Munich and won the Champions League again in 2001 as well as five Bundesliga trophies. 

Fabio Capello

Quote: "I tell the guys, 'accept my decisions, and everyone will get their chance.'"

Current Team: England

Teams Coached: Milan, Real Madrid, Roma, Juventus, England

Total Trophies: 14

Since his first position as Milan coach, Fabio Capello has brought success to nearly every team he has coached.

During his years as a club coach, Capello has won the domestic league title for every club he has ever coached winning the Serie A four times with Milan, once with Roma, twice with Juventus, and the La Liga twice with Real Madrid.

With his time in England coming to a close after Euro 2012, the don Fabio will be looking to end on a high with hopes of leading England to their first piece of silverware since 1966.

Joachim Low

Quote: "We have 23 spots in the team. I think the competition is great"

Current Team: Germany

Teams Coached: VfB Stuttgart, Fenerbahce, Karlsruher SC, Adanaspor, FC Tirol Innsbruck, FK Austria Wein, Germany

Total Trophies: Two

Joachim Low has seen relatively minor success as a manager so far in his career.

When Jurgen Klinsman was appointed as head coach of the German National team he appointed Low as his assistant coach.

Klinsman was seen as the influential figure while Low was the tactical genius behind Germany's third place run at the 2006 World Cup.

After Klinsman decided not to renew his contract, Low was promoted to head coach. Since then, Low has led Germany to a second place finish at the Euro 2008 finals as well as third place at the 2010 World Cup. 

Roberto Mancini

Quote: “We must continue to work and improve every game, every day, only that way can we win” 

Current Team: Manchester City

Teams Coached: Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Manchester City

Total Trophies: 10

At just 35 years old, Mancini took on his first role as manager, taking charge of Fiorentina in 2001.

In what was his only season with the Florence club, Mancini won the Coppa Italia but left soon after as Fiorentina faced bankruptcy. 

Since then he has won another nine trophies including three Serie A titles with Inter and his most recent success, an FA Cup with Manchester City last year, ending the Citizen's 34 year trophy drought. 

Rudi Garcia

Quote: "In my opinion, Joe is one of the most 'Latin' English players there are." - on Joe Cole

Current Team: Lille

Teams Coached: Saint-Etienne, Dijon, Le Mans, Lille

Total Trophies: Two

An attack minded tactician, Rudi Garcia is a fairly new name amongst the coaching elite.

Since his appointment as Lille head coach in 2009, Lille have only been on the rise.

After leading Lille to an impressive fourth place finish in 2010, the following season would see even more improvement from the French side.

Last season, Garcis led les Dogues to a domestic double, winning the Coupe de France as well as the league. 

Jupp Heynckes

Quote: "Germany have also been playing very good football and will be capable of playing a more eye-catching football in the future. We will be able to beat the Spaniards in the future"

Current Team: Bayern Munich

Teams Coached: Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Athletic Bilbao, Eintracht Frankfurt, Tenerife, Real Madrid, Benfica, Schalke 04, Bayern Leverkusen 

Total Trophies: Eight

Heynckes won four trophies in four years with Bayern Munich in what was the start of a successful career. 

After numerous other stints, Heynckes saw his services called upon at Real Madrid.

There he led Los Blancos to their first Champions League trophy in over thirty years, beating Juventus 1-0 in 1998. 

However that was not enough to keep his job, as Madrid sacked the manager for his lack of domestic success. 

Now back with Bayern Munich, Heynckes will look to replicate his success from the 90s. 

Harry Redknapp

Quote: “The sad part is that the ones who do well want to go, but you cannot move the ones who are useless.”

Current Team: Tottenham Hotspur

Teams Coached: Bournemouth, West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur

Total Trophies: One

Seen by many as next in line to take over the England job, Harry Redknapp is a widely respected figure in English football.

His greatest success came with Portsmouth, leading them to their first FA cup title in 69 years after beating Cardiff City 1-0. 

Redknapp has since taken over at Spurs and led them through their first ever Champions League run, beating the likes of Inter and AC Milan before eventually losing to Real Madrid in the quarter finals. 

Bert Van Marwijk

Quote: "The key is to understand that there's never any guarantee of winning your next match."

Current Team: Netherlands

Teams Coached: Fortuna Sittard, Feyenoord, Borussia Dortmund, Netherlands 

Total Trophies: Two

Before leading the Netherlands on an impressive run to the 2010 World Cup final, Van Marijk's greatest achievement came at Feyenoord.

There he won the 2002 UEFA Cup, beating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the final.  

With Euro 2012 just around the corner, The Dutch tactician will be looking to continue where the Netherlands left off.

Marcello Lippi

Quote: "There should be no prima donnas on a team; everyone should feel important, from the oldest player to the youngest."

Current Team: none

Teams Coached: Cesena, Lucchese, Atalanta, Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Juventus, Italy

Total Trophies: 14

The only other coach to win both the Champions League and the World Cup, Marcello Lippi is a legend of the game. 

Most of his achievements came at Juventus where he won five league titles and appeared in four Champions League finals, winning one of them in 1996. 

At 63, Lippi is far from retirement as rumor has it he will be back in limelight as a club manager. 

Carlo Ancelloti

Quote: "Now is to fight, our aim is to play every game how we played tonight, using spirit, using attitude."

Current Team: none

Teams Coached: Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea

Total Trophies: 11

Carlo Ancelloti is most known for his success with Milan from 2001-2009.

There he clinched a Serie A title and Copa Italia as well as an impressive two Champions League titles.

Had it not been for Liverpool's miracle comeback in Istanbul, Ancelloti would have three trophies under his belt. 

During his time at Chelsea, he became only the second non-english manager to win the domestic double, after lifting the League and FA-cup in 2010. 

One trophy-less season later, and Ancelloti is out of a job with rumors of a return to Italy mounting. 

Andre Villas-Boas

Quote: "I expect to be successful. To win straight away, on a weekly basis. There's no running away from that challenge. That's what I face."

Current Team: Chelsea

Teams Coached: British Virgin Islands, Academica de Coimbra, Porto, Chelsea

Total Trophies: Four

The man that replaced Ancelloti, AVB, as he has become known, is another young manager on the scene. 

After winning a treble of the league, Portuguese cup, and UEFA Europa League with Porto, Roman Abramovich is looking to repeat history with another young Porto coach.  

In winning the Europa League last season, Villas-Boas is now the youngest manager to ever win a European competition. 

After a trophy-less season last campaign, the pressure is on for AVB to deliver the goods at Stamford Bridge. 

Giovanni Trapattoni

Quote: "If I only had what you call a defensive attitude, I wouldn't have achieved what I have in 25 or 30 years as a coach."

Current Team: Republic of Ireland

Teams Coached: Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Italy, Benfica, Stuttgart, Red Bull Salzburg, Republic of Ireland

Total Trophies: 21

Trapattoni is coaching legend and is able to boast winning all UEFA club competitions during his time with Juventus. 

He has won an astonishing ten league titles in four different countries (Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Austria) with seven of them being Serie A titles. 

Jurgen Klopp

Quote: "60,000 Dortmund fans don't want to sit there twiddling their thumbs. They want to see passion!"

Current Team: Borussia Dortmund

Teams Coached: FSV Mainz, Borussia Dortmund

Total Trophies: Three

After leading German side FSV Mainz to the Bundesliga, Jurgen Klopp was appointed as coach of Borussia Dortmund.

Last season Klopp lead Dortmund to their first Bundesliga Trophy since 2002.

Rafael Benitez

Quote: "The difference between players is not always the quality but their mentality."

Current Team: none

Teams Coached: Real Valladolid, Osasuna, Extemadura, Tenerife, Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan

Total Trophies: 9

In 2001, Rafa took charge of Valencia leading them to their most successful period in recent years.

They won the La Liga that year making it their first league title in 31 years. In 2004 Valencia won a double, sealing the La Liga and UEFA Cup titles.

Benitez then moved on to Liverpool where he won five trophies including the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.

After an unsuccessful run with Inter Milan, Rafa is currently without a team but will surely be back to Football soon. 

Paulo Bento

Quote: "I will not ask the Federation for any statement to UEFA, nor for any request for a suspension. I just want him to follow his path and me my own." - speaking on Carvalho

Current Team: Portugal

Teams Coached: Sporting CP, Portugal

Total Trophies: Five

Currently the coach of Portugal, Paulo Bento enjoyed relative success during his four years with Sporting CP.

Bento won two Portuguese Cups and two Portuguese Supercups with Sporting both coming 2007 and 2008 respectively. 

A young manager with a lot to prove, Bento will be waiting prove his skeptics wrong come Euro 2012. 

Felix Magath

Quote: "You can't play beautiful football if the other team won't cooperate."

Current Team: VfL Wolfsburg

Teams Coached: Hamburg, FC Nuremberg, Werder Bremen, Eintracht Frankfurt, VfB Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg

Total Trophies: Six

A regular in the Bundesliga for over ten years now, Felix Magath has seen his fair share of success.

While managing Bayern Munich, Magath led the Bavarians to back to back domestic doubles, something that had never been done in Germany. 

He also secured a Bundesliga titles with Wolfsburg in 2009. After being sacked by Schalke earlier this year, Magath has returned to Wolfsburg. 

Claudio Ranieri

Quote: "Whether I think he's lazy? I have to agree with that, yes. Nevertheless, he is the best player with whom I have ever worked. He could have won several Ballon d'Ors had he left Roma for Barcelona or Manchester United." - on Francesco Totti

Current Team: Inter Milan

Teams Coached: Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Athletico Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan

Total Trophies: Five

Ranieri's most successful run as a manager has come for Fiorentina and Valencia. 

With Fiorentina he won the Coppa italia in 1996 as well as the Italian Supercup that year.

He had two stints as Valencia boss winning the Copa del Rey in his first chapter in 1999 then the UEFA Supercup in 2004 during his second appointment. 

Kenny Dalglish

Quote: "We're interested in improving and the prices we paid are what we've paid. Bold or stupid? Time will tell." - speaking on Liverpool signings. 

Current Team: Liverpool

Teams Coached: Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Celtic

Total Trophies: 12

King Kenny was actually a player manager for his first spell as a coach at Liverpool. Throughout his six year tenure, Dalglish won three league titles and two FA-Cups. 

Dalglish then went on to coach Blackburn Rovers and won the league title in 1995. He also won the Scottish Cup with Celtic in 2000. 

The Anfield faithful will be hopeful Kenny Dalglish's re-appointment as Liverpool boss can usher in a new era, and recapture the elite status Liverpool possessed in the past. 

Jose Mourinho

Quote: "Pressure? Pressure is millions of people in the world, parents with no money to buy food for their children; that's pressure. Not in football."

Current Team: Real Madrid

Teams Coached: Benfica, Uniao de Leiria, Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid

Total Trophies: 18

The most charismatic coach is the game today, Jose Mourinho has already established himself as an all time great. 

Since he took the helm at Porto in 2002, the 'Special One' has lifted 18 trophies in nine years with four teams. 

He has won the Champions League twice with Porto and Inter Milan, and could likely make it three if he can bring Madrid their elusive tenth European crown. 

Among his many records, Jose's first season in charge of Chelsea led them to the Premier League title, their first top-flight title in over 50 years.

His treble winning season with Inter Milan was the first ever for an Italian Club and Inters first European final appearance in 38 years. 

Many more trophies to come for the 48 year old who, one day, could be considered the best coach of all time. 

Sir Alex Ferguson

Quote: "My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f****** perch. And you can print that."

Current Team: Manchester United

Teams Coached: St. Mirren, Aberdeen, Scotland, Manchester United

Total Trophies: 48

The most successful manager of the modern era, Sir Alex is also the longest serving of all current managers after being with United for 25 years now.

So long has his tenure been that many of this former players are managers now. 

Among his outlandish number of achievements, Fergie has won England's Manager of the Year award a record 12 times, the Premier league 12 times, the FA Cup five times, and the Champions League twice.

As many feats as he has achieved, Sir Alex is not done yet.

With United looking dangerous this season, don't put another handful of trophies past the Scotsman as he has shown no signs of retiring anytime soon.