Jürgen Klopp is making his return to management with Germany, while Zinedine Zidane is expected to be named as the new head coach of France soon.
With Carlo Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel, and Mauricio Pochettino already transitioning from club management, it seems like international football is becoming the new arena for top-tier coaches, right?
The quick answer is “no.”
Despite the influx of notable figures into international management, it largely serves as a refuge for those looking for redemption or a break from the demanding nature of club football.
– Does Klopp need Germany as much as they need him?
– Can MLS leverage the World Cup excitement in the U.S.?
– Ranking every World Cup from 1930 to 2026
While “semi-retirement” might be too strong a term, both Klopp and Zidane—who have been away from management for two and five years, respectively—find international coaching an appealing way to engage with football while maintaining the freedom they’ve enjoyed since departing from their previous roles at Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Interestingly, Ancelotti (Brazil), Tuchel (England), and Pochettino (United States) accepted their international positions following dismissals from their last club jobs. With opportunities in the top-tier club scene limited, each opted to explore something new. As they consider the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, it wouldn’t be surprising if any of them jumped at a chance to return to the UEFA Champions League.
If Pep Guardiola had accepted the position offered by the Italian Football Federation to coach Italy, it would have drastically changed the landscape of international coaching. However, just months after concluding his decade-long tenure at Manchester City, he clearly expressed that he was not interested in leading the Azzurri.
Italy is currently struggling to find a replacement for Gennaro Gattuso, one of the esteemed roles in international coaching. Andrea Pirlo has been eliminated from consideration due to connections with a Russian betting company, while Ancelotti has committed to a new contract with Brazil following their round-of-16 exit against Norway at the World Cup. The top contenders for the job now are Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte—both of whom have previously managed Italy.
2:12
Will Pochettino leave USMNT role?
If international football were truly the next big thing in coaching, the high-profile job currently available in Italy—despite their third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup—would attract elite coaches. Enzo Maresca would never dream of turning down the opportunity to follow Guardiola at City to lead his national team, and Simone Inzaghi’s lucrative position with Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal means he isn’t considering a return to Italy either.
Similarly, the Netherlands is in search of a new coach following Ronald Koeman’s departure after a disappointing World Cup exit. While Arne Slot is the favorite according to bookmakers, he is likely to hold out for a more appealing club opportunity, leaving veteran Louis van Gaal—a former coach of both Barcelona and Manchester United—as the leading candidate to take the national helm for the fourth time, 26 years after his first appointment.
Erik ten Hag, former United and Ajax manager, who is now the technical director at FC Twente, has ruled himself out of the running for the Dutch position, leaving van Gaal, Ruud van Nistelrooy (currently out of work following Leicester City’s relegation from the Premier League), John Heitinga (recently dismissed by Ajax), PSV Eindhoven coach Peter Bosz, and Netherlands under-21 coach Michael Reiziger as the frontrunners. The KNVB would be wise to consider the merits of appointing Reiziger, who understands the international framework, rather than succumbing to the allure of the most high-profile names available.
Meanwhile, Luis de la Fuente has led Spain to victory at the 2024 UEFA European Championship and a strong performance in this year’s World Cup after being promoted from the U21 position. Similarly, Lionel Scaloni has achieved significant success with Argentina, winning two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup after making the jump from U20 coaching in 2018. Gareth Southgate also transformed England’s trajectory with final appearances in two Euros and a World Cup semifinal after stepping up from managing the U21s in 2016, despite criticism late in his eight-year tenure.
Didier Deschamps stands out as an exception—winning the World Cup as a player and coaching France to similar success in 2018, despite his unremarkable club coaching career and a lack of celebrity status.
While prominent names make for eye-catching headlines, and both Klopp and Zidane have the potential to replicate their club successes on the international front, Ancelotti, Tuchel, and Pochettino have shown that big names in the club arena often don’t translate to international success. Unlike Ancelotti, Tuchel, and Pochettino, Klopp and Zidane are responding to the call of their home countries, making their situations quite different.
Ultimately, success at the international level hinges on less glamorous coaches who understand the system and are familiar with emerging talents, rather than on celebrity coaches with established records at some of the wealthiest clubs in the sport. Whether Zidane and Klopp can defy this trend remains to be seen, but it’s likely that the top coaches—like Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, Mikel Arteta, and José Mourinho—will continue to be found on the sidelines of the Champions League next season.