Football managers with most matches in history

Football Managers play a huge role in a team's development and on-field performance. They help in building synergy between players. Certainly, clubs prefer managers with huge experience to support their profile. Here we see eight of those football managers who have the most matches under their belt.

List of football managers with most games (1000 or more)

1. Alex Ferguson (2155)

Alex Ferguson is a Scottish former football manager and player, widely known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. Ferguson is considered by many to be one of the greatest managers of all time and he has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football. He managed 2155 games in his career which is more than anybody in football history. He also has a win percentage of 58.1.

Sir Alex Ferguson has managed the following teams in his managerial career:

• East Stirlingshire (1974)
• St Mirren (1974-1978)
• Scotland (1985-1986)
• Aberdeen (1978-1986)
• Manchester United (1986-2013)

Also Read: Most goals for Manchester United as jersey no 7

2. Neil Warnock (2002)

Neil Warnock is an English football manager and former player who is currently manager of the Championship club Middlesbrough. He is also a television and radio pundit. In a managerial career spanning five decades, Warnock has managed sixteen different clubs from the Premier League to non-league. He also holds the record for the most promotions in English football, with eight. Warnock features at number 2 in the list having managed 2002 games with a win rate of 40.85%.

He has managed the following teams in his career:

• Scarborough (1986–1989)
• Notts County (1989–1993)
• Torquay United (1993)
• Huddersfield Town (1993–1995)
• Plymouth Argyle (1995–1997)
• Oldham Athletic (1997–1998)
• Bury (1998–1999)
• Sheffield United (1999–2007)
• Crystal Palace (2007–2010, 2014)
• Queens Park Rangers (2010–2012, 2015)
• Leeds United (2012–2013)
• Rotherham United (2016)
• Cardiff City (2016–2019)
• Middlesbrough (2020-2021)
• Aberdeen (2024)

3. Vanderlei Luxemburgo (1819)

4. Guy Roux (1,754)

Guy Roux is one of the most famous football managers in France due to his stint at the  AJ Auxerre club. Roux played for  AJ Auxerreduring 1954 and 1957 and became their player-manager in 1961 as a 23-year-old in the fourth division of the French League. In his 44-year stint at the club, he made their youth system so strong that players like Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Basile Boli, Philippe Mexès, Teemu Tainio, Alain Goma and Djibril Cissé came through  AJ Auxerre.

Roux's greatest achievement came in the 1995/96 season when he led  AJ Auxerre to their maiden Ligue1 title despite not being the favourites. Roux retired as Auxerre manager in 2005 and was awarded UEFA President's Award in 2002. The French manager managed a record 890 matches in the top flight.

In total, he managed 1,754 matches and won 817 of them. 

Teams he managed in his career: -

• Auxerre (1961-2005)
• Lens (2007)

5. Graham Turner (1718)

Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager later in his career. In overall, he managed a total of 1659 games in his career with a win percentage of 39.1. The teams he coached are as follows -

• Shrewsbury Town (1978-1984)
• Aston Villa (1984-1986)
• Wolverhampton Wanderers (1986-1994)
• Hereford United (1995-2009)
• Shrewsbury Town (2010-2014)

6. Arsene Wenger (1701)

Arsene Wenger is a former French football manager and player, who is FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. He was the manager of Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, where he was the longest-serving and most successful in the club's history. Moreover, his contribution to English football through changes to scouting, players' training, and diet regimens revitalised Arsenal and aided the globalisation of the sport in the 21st century. Wenger has managed 1701 games in his career with a win percentage of 54.

He has managed the following teams in his managerial career:

• Nancy (1984-1987)
• Monaco (1987-1994)
• Nagoya Grampus Eight (1995-1996)
• Arsenal (1996-2018)

Also Read: 5 highest spending football managers of 21st century

7. Bill Struth (1655)

Bill Struth was the second ever coach of Rangers Club and one of the most successful managers in British and Scottish football. Struth was Rangers manager for a record 34 years from 1920 to 1954. He led Rangers to a record 30 major trophies including 18 Scottish league championships, 10 Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups.

In his lifetime Bill managed 1655 matches for Rangers and won 1134 of them.

8. Luiz Felipe Scolari (1647)

Scolari, a former Brazilian footballer and manager comes at 8 on our list of football managers with most matches in their career. Scolari in his managerial career has been managing clubs for 42 years now, starting with CSA in 1982. 

Luiz Felipe Scolari has managed big teams like Brazil and Portugal Men's National teams along with clubs like Chelsea in mid-2010s. 

In his 1647 matches as manager, he won 817 games.

Following are the teams Scolari managed - 

9. Willie Maley (1612)

William Patrick Maley was a Scottish international football player and manager. He was the first manager of the Celtic Football Club and one of the most successful managers in Scottish football history. Moreover, he was a one-club man as he managed only Celtic in his career from 1897 to 1940. Maley has managed a total number of 1612 games in his career with an incredible win percentage of 64.5.

Also Read: Football Facts: Football managers who won the treble

10. Alec Stock (1,584)

Alec William Alfred Stock was an English footballer and also a manager. He played as an inside forward for Charlton Athletic and Queens Park Rangers before the Second World War. Moreover, he managed a whopping number of 1618 games in his career with a win percentage of 42.

The teams he managed are as follows:

• Yeovil Town (1946-1949)
• Leyton Orient (1949–1959)
• A.S. Roma (1957-1958)
• Queens Park Rangers (1959–1968)
• Luton Town (1968–1972)
• Fulham (1972–1976)
• Bournemouth (1979–1980)