Best Indian Super League Managers of all Time
These excellent foreign managers from various countries have blessed the Indian Super League since its inception in 2013/2014
For India and Indians, the I-League was bigger than every other football tournament in the country. After all, the I-League has operated in the country for decades and it is still an essential part of the Indian footballing community. However, it was never a charismatic league because it lacked the money or shall we say; the sponsors needed to run a sophisticated league. A football league that can be contrasted to the leagues in Europe with excellent football stadiums and pitches, mind-blowing infrastructure, staffs with expertise in football, legendary foreign players and managers.
In 2013/14, the dream turned into reality as the All India Football Federation in an association with Star Sports and IMG-Reliance launched the Hero Indian Super League. Seven years down the line, several legendary foreign players and managers have graced the pitches of Indian football. In this article, we look at some of the best Indian Super League managers of all time.
Antonio Lopez Habas- Undeniably, Spanish manager cum former player Antonio Lopez Habas is the best ISL manager of all time. With team Atletico de Kolkata, the stern manager picked up two championship titles in seven seasons. This season (20/21), he guided team ATK Mohun Bagan to the finals but lost the match after ATK Mohun Bagan defender Tiri scored an own goal.
Marco Materazzi- A World Cup champion with Italy, Marco Materazzi was a renowned player who graced the Indian Super League with his presence as the manager of Chennaiyin football club. In the first season, he guided the South-Indian club to the semi-final round. In the second edition, he made some changes to the roster and helped Chennaiyin football club picked up the trophy.
Steve Coppell- The Englishman failed to win a trophy in the Indian Super League but over the years, Coppell has managed teams like Kerala Blasters, Jamshedpur FC and ATK. With 41.37 per cent of win during his ISL spell, we have positioned Coppell third in our list.
John Gregory- Another Englishman we cannot avoid mentioning is John Gregory, who took charge of Chennaiy in FC in the season of 2017/18. In a single season, he guided the team to the trophy. Although he was sacked in the next season, he was genuinely an admirable manager.