Behind every great football team, there's a great manager, and the 80s were certainly no exception in that regard.
From iconic international tacticians to trophy-hogging club coaches, FourFourTwo has taken a trip down memory lane to determine the best bosses of the decade.
Let's go!
32. Bobby Gould
The FA Cup is all about upsets, and Bobby Gould masterminded one of the most momentous in the history of the world’s oldest football competition.
In 1988, his Wimbledon side – who had only just completed their first season in the top flight – stunned newly crowned First Division champions Liverpool, England’s dominant club of the 80s, in the final to lift the trophy.
31. Antoni Piechniczek
Capped a handful of times by Poland as a player, Antoni Piechniczek went on to coach his country to third place at the 1982 World Cup, in the latter years of their golden era.
Piechniczek moved back into club management with Gornik Zabrze after the 1986 World Cup, leading them to back-to-back Polish titles – before taking on the dual role of manager of the Tunisia national team and club side Esperance de Tunis.
30. Guy Thys
The 1980s were heady days for Belgian football, as the national team finished as runners-up to France at the 1980 European Championship then reached the 1986 World Cup semi-finals – where they lost to eventual winners Argentina.
They did it all under the shrewd stewardship of Guy Thys, who was in charge from 1976 to 1989.
29. Aime Jacquet
Over a decade before coaching France to World Cup glory, Aime Jacquet was dominating Ligue 1 with Bordeaux, steering them to three out of four titles between the 1983/84 and 1986/87 campaigns – also lifting the Coupe de France in the latter.
Jacquet’s nine years as Bordeaux boss – during which he was twice named French Manager of the Year – came in between stints with Lyon and Montpellier.
28. Tony Barton
In 1982, Aston Villa enjoyed their finest hour, defeating Bayern Munich to lift the European Cup – and Tony Barton was the man in the dugout.
Barton’s managerial career was brief, but winning the big one just three months into his Villa tenure ensured he would forever enjoy legendary status at Villa Park.
27. Javier Clemente
Athletic Bilbao’s last championship-winning manager, Basque native Javier Clemente guided his hometown club to successive La Liga titles in 1982/83 and 1983/84.
Clemente – whose Athletic playing career was cut short by injury – oversaw a double triumph in the latter of those two seasons. He also had spells in charge of Espanyol and Atletico Madrid during the 80s.
26. Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei went down in history for his 1985/86 European Cup victory as manager of Steaua Bucharest – who became the first club from Eastern Europe to win the competition.
He didn’t do too badly domestically either, steering Steaua to three consecutive Romanian top-flight titles between 1985 and 1987 – and doing the double in 1985/86.
25. Dave Bassett
Dave Bassett took over as manager of Fourth Division in 1981 – and set about writing one of the most remarkable stories in English football history, guiding the Dons to the top flight in just five years.
And it’s a story made even more remarkable by the fact that the South Londoners had to bounce back from relegation (from the Third Division in 1982) en route.
24. Franz Beckenbauer
He was already one of the greatest players of all time – and it didn’t take Franz Beckenbauer long to start establishing himself as an exceptional manager, too.
The captain of West Germany’s 1974 World Cup-winning team coached the nation to the 1986 final – four years before going one better – and third place at the 1988 European Championship.
23. Alberto Ormaetxea
A truly legendary figure in the history of Real Sociedad, Alberto Ormaetxea called the shots as the Basques won their only two La Liga titles – claiming back-to-back crowns in 1980/1 and 1981/82.
La Real had also almost won the league under Ormaetxea in 1979/80, finishing a single point behind Real Madrid.
22. Bobby Robson
Immensely popular wherever he managed, Bobby Robson started the 80s in style by bringing the UEFA Cup to Ipswich Town in 1981.
The following year, he succeeded Ron Greenwood as England boss and took the Three Lions to the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals – where a bloke by the name of Diego Maradona ruined everything.
21. Leo Beenhakker
One of the Netherlands’ best ever managers, Leo Beenhakker swapped the Dutch national team for Real Madrid in 1986 – and won the title in all three of his seasons in charge at the Bernabeu, doing the double in his final campaign.
Beenhakker began and ended the 80s as Ajax boss, guiding them to the 1979/80 and 1989/90 Eredivisie titles.
20. George Graham
George Graham won two First Division titles as Arsenal manager – and the first of those could hardly have come in more dramatic fashion.
On the final day of the 1988/89 season, the Gunners travelled to Anfield needing to beat Liverpool by two goals to gazump the Reds to the title – and they only went and did it, Michael Thomas’ 91st-minute strike seeing the North Londers crowned champions for the first time in 18 years.
19. Terry Venables
In 1984, Terry Venables was appointed Barcelona manager – and promptly became ‘El Tel’, a nickname which stuck with him for life.
And he wasted no time in endearing himself to the locals, ending Barca’s 11-year La Liga title drought in his first season – before guiding them to the European Cup final the following year.
18. Rinus Michels
Having come close to winning the 1974 World Cup with his native Netherlands, iconic former Ajax and Barcelona boss Rinus Michels finally tasted success at the 1988 European Championship (Marco van Basten’s volley and all that).
Earlier in the 80s, Michels had won his final major club honour, the DFB-Pokal (German cup) with Koln.
17. Carlos Bilardo
After beginning the 80s with spells as manager of Colombia and Argentine club side Estudiantes, Carlos Bilardo took charge of the Argentina national team in 1983 – and made them world champions three years later.
A keen exponent of the 3-5-2 formation, Bilardo’s team – spearheaded by a certain Diego Maradona – beat West Germany 3-2 in a thrilling 1986 World Cup final.
16. Joe Fagan
A humble figure, Fagan’s Anfield tenure was a short one – he retired at the end of the 1984/85 campaign, just two years after taking the job – but his place in Reds folklore was assured.
Succeeding the great Bill Paisley as Liverpool boss was always going to be a seriously tall order – but Joe Fagan rose to the challenge in style, doing a First Division, European Cup and League Cup treble in his first season at the helm.
15. Udo Lattek
One of the most successful managers in the history of the game, Udo Lattek returned to Bayern Munich in 1983 – and led them to three straight Bundesliga titles from 1985 to 1987, taking his total to six.
A year before making the move back to Bayern, Lattek had lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup with Barcelona.
14. Artur Jorge
Winning two Portuguese titles and Porto’s first ever European Cup, it’s fair to say the 80s were a pretty successful decade for Artur Jorge.
That continental triumph – sealed by victory over Bayern Munich in the final – saw Jorge – who actually spent most of his playing career with Porto’s major rivals Benfica – named European Coach of the Season.
13. Kenny Dalglish
The only manager to win the English top-flight title before and after the start of the Premier League era, Kenny Dalglish succeeded Joe Fagan as Liverpool boss in 1985.
Player-manager for almost the entirety of his reign, Dalglish’s glittering playing career meant he already enjoyed godlike status at Anfield – but two First Division titles and two FA Cups after stepping into the dugout helped well and truly seal his legend.
12. Howard Kendall
The man responsible for breaking Liverpool’s near-monopoly on the First Division title during the 80s, Howard Kendall led Everton to glory in 1984/85 – 15 years after doing so as a player for the club – and lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup to boot.
Kendall’s Toffees – who had also lifted the 1983/84 FA Cup – were pipped to the crown by their Merseyside rivals the following season – but they regained it in 1986/87.
11. Valeriy Lobanovskyi
A revered pioneer of pressing, Valeriy Lobanovskyi enjoyed three memorable spells as Dynamo Kyiv manager – the second of which came between 1984 and 1990 and yielded a multitude of honours, most notably Dynamo’s second Cup Winners’ Cup triumph.
From 1986 to 1990, the legendary Ukrainian also took charge of the Soviet Union, guiding them to the final of Euro 1988.
10. Michel Hidalgo
As a player, Michel Hidalgo played and scored in the first ever European Cup final, for Reims against Real Madrid; as a manager, he led his native France to 1984 European Championship victory.
Les Bleus’ first major triumph came two years after Hidalgo had steered them to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
9. Enzo Bearzot
Enzo Bearzot had just two frontline management jobs: a brief stint in charge of lower-league club Prato – then 11 years in charge of the Italian national team, who he steered to 1982 World Cup glory, overseeing an impressive 3-1 victory over West Germany in the final.
A distinctive character often seen smoking his pipe on the touchline, Bearzot was a meticulous coach who formed close bonds with his players.
8. Alex Ferguson
Few, if any, managers have enjoyed the kind of enduring success that Alex Feguson did over the course of his 39-year career in the dugout.
And before dominating the English game with Manchester United, Fergie was doing likewise in Scotland with Aberdeen, winning three top-flight titles, four Scottish Cups, a Scottish League Cup and the 1982/83 Cup Winners’ Cup.
As we now well know, lifting trophies is just what he did.
7. Brian Clough
He’s been called “the greatest manager England never had” – but the Three Lions’ loss was every bit Nottingham Forest’s gain, and Brian Clough will forever remain one of the finest gaffers of all time.
In 1980, Cloughie – aided by trusty number two Peter Taylor – retained the European Cup, earning European Coach of the Season making Forest the first club to win the competition more times than their domestic league title – before claiming the first of back-to-back League Cups in 1989.
6. Jupp Derwall
Having kicked off the decade with victory at the 1980 European Championship, legendary West Germany boss Jupp Derwall almost doubled up with the 1982 World Cup – not bad going for a six-year spell in charge.
Derwall – whose hairstyle gained him the unusual nickname ‘Chieftain Silver Curl’ – returned to club management in 1984 with Galatasaray, where he won the title and Turkish Cup.
5. Guus Hiddink
Firstly, the moustache: majestic. Secondly, the managerial record: even more so. Taking on a number-one role for the first time in 1987, Guus Hiddink steered PSV to the treble within 12 months.
Two more Eredivisie titles and another KNVB Cup followed before the 80s were out, as Hiddink began his coaching journey in style.
4. Ernst Happel
Already a European Cup winner at Feyenoord in 1970, Ernst Happel expanded his legend by repeating the feat 13 years later with Hamburg – where he also claimed successive Bundesliga titles.
Towards the end of the decade, Happel got his hands on yet more silverware, winning the title with Swarovski Tirol in his native Austria – whose national stadium was renamed after him following his death in 1992.
3. Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley didn’t even want the Liverpool job – but he ended up keeping it for nine years, having gone from number two under Bill Shankly to the main man ahead of the 1974/75 season.
The former Reds left-half had already brought six major trophies to Anfield by the start of the 80s – and they kept on coming, among them three more First Division titles and another European Cup.
2. Arrigo Sacchi
Appointed manager in 1987, the inimitable Arrigo Sacchi fine-tuned AC Milan into one of the greatest teams the game has ever seen.
Bolstering a star-studded crop of Italians with Dutch masters Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, the high priest of high pressing took the Rossoneri to the 1987/88 Serie A title – then, starting the following season, consecutive European Cups.
1. Giovanni Trappattoni
Among the most decorated coaches in football history, Giovanni Trappattoni scooped his first honours as manager of Juventus – which included four Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, the Cup Winners’ Cup, European Cup and Intercontinental Cup between 1980 and 1986.
Il Trap then swapped Juve for another Italian giant, Inter Milan, where he won the Scudetto once again in 1988/89.
He would go on to enjoy further success with Bayern Munich and Benfica, among others.
