With the year about to come to a close, it's time to analyze and interpret who can be considered as the best coach in Europe, statistically speaking.
Some candidates like Claudio Ranieri, who had an amazing first half of the year, had to be left out of the race, as the second semester hasn't been as shining. Others like Unai Emery, UEFA Europa League champion with Sevilla, had to be left out of this race due to their shaky pace at PSG.
Without further ado, here are the top 5 coaches in Europe.
Fernando Santos
The Portuguese manager shocked the world -especially France- when he led his fellow countrymen to the UEFA Euro title. By winning the team's first international trophy, Santos established himself as one of the best coaches of the year, even if his performance in the continental tournament wasn't as scintillating. His effective style saw his team lose only three games throughout the year, with only one of them being a competitive match.
Fernando Santos' stats in 2016:
Games: 17
Wins: 10
Draws: 4
Losses: 3
Cristiano Ronaldo found the coach that knew exactly how he needed to play in order to become the leader Portugal needed in Fernando Santos.
Zinedine Zidane
Appointed as Real Madrid's coach on January 4, the Frenchman went on to win the UEFA Champions League title with Los Blancos in his La Liga debut season. After winning the top European club competition, "Zizou" led the Spanish giants to a nail-biting UEFA Super Cup win and an extra time Club World Cup victory. If you needed something more to consider Zidane as one of the best coaches this year, his record-breaking 35 game streak without a loss might give you a hint on why he should.
Zinedine Zidane's stats in 2016:
Games: 53
Wins: 41
Draws: 10
Losses: 2
Zidane needed less games than any coach in history to win the UEFA Champions League trophy.
Luis Enrique
Winning La Liga with Barcelona is something that most people might find easy during the Lionel Messi era, but no coach has been able to do so with such style and grace as Luis Enrique. Even if he's not as praised as some of his predecessors by fans and media, his methods have proven to be effective, and having seven titles in his resume surely proves his worth. In 2016, the former Celta and Roma tactician won the excruciating battle for La Liga by one point, and also added another Copa del Rey title for Barcelona's cabinets.
Luis Enrique's stats in 2016:
Games: 59
Wins: 45
Draws: 7
Losses: 7
He may not be the media's most beloved coach, but his tactics have given fans one of the most spectacular teams of all times, scoring tons of goals during his two seasons at the helm.
Antonio Conte
Proving that he was made to coach big teams, Antonio Conte has shown his intensity as Chelsea's new boss in the 2016-17 season. Prior to joining the Blues, he led Italy to a quarter final exit in the UEFA Euro, losing only one game of the competition and needing an excruciating penalty shootout to be eliminated. When most experts thought he wasn't a good fit for the EPL, he quickly amassed the longest winning streak by any Chelsea coach in history, with 12 straight wins and allowing only two goals in the process. Will he be able to crown than with an EPL title by the end of the season?
Antonio Conte's stats in 2016:
Games: 30
Wins: 22
Draws: 3
Losses: 5
Love him or hate him, but this Italian coach surely knows his trade.
Pep Guardiola
The Spanish genius from Santpedor made a bold move when he announced he would be joining Manchester City and leave the confort of the Bundesliga, where he dominated during the past three years with Bayern Munich. His EPL debut hasn't been as easy as people expected, but he's been able to deliver some big wins for the Sky Blues, including a 3-1 win at the Etihad against his former club, Barcelona. Guardiola won his third Bundesliga crown before leaving Bayern, adding a DFB Pokal win during his last match with Die Roten.
Pep Guardiola's stats in 2016:
Games: 54
Wins: 36
Draws: 11
Losses: 7
Guardiola has found it hard to implement his style at Manchester City, allowing more goals at this point of the season than never before.
Did we miss someone? Which top-caliber coach should be included in this list? Be sure to let us know on our comments section below.
