Jürgen Klopp is back in management with Germany and Zinedine Zidane soon will be announced as the new coach of France.
So with Carlo Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino already making the leap from the club game, international football is the new playground of football's best and most high-profile coaches, right?
Despite the flurry of big names moving into international management, it remains a route for those seeking redemption or a quieter pace of life away from the relentless intensity that comes with a top club job.
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And like it or not, Ancelotti (Brazil), Tuchel (England) and Pochettino (United States) took their international jobs after being fired from their most recent club position. With nothing on the horizon to match the high-profile club jobs they had grown accustomed to, each of them opted to try something different. As they all reflect on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it would be no surprise if they leapt at the first chance to jump ship for an opportunity to return to the UEFA Champions League.
Had Pep Guardiola taken the opportunity offered to him by the Italian Football Federation to become the new Italy coach, that would have been a game-changer and a genuine coup for the international game. But Guardiola, just a couple of months after ending his 10-year stay at Manchester City, quickly made it clear that he was not interested in coaching the Azzurri.
26 years after first taking the job.
Former United and Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, now technical director at FC Twente, ruled himself out of contention for the Dutch job earlier this month, so the leading names right now are van Gaal, Ruud van Nistelrooy (out of work since relegation from the Premier League with Leicester City in 2025), John Heitinga (fired by Ajax after five months last season), PSV Eindhoven coach Peter Bosz and Netherlands under-21 coach Michael Reiziger. If the KNVB is smart and assesses what really works at the international level, it will hand former Ajax and Barcelona defender Reiziger the job and avoid the temptation of hiring the biggest name on their list.
Luis de la Fuente has guided Spain to glory at the 2024 UEFA European Championship and this year's World Cup since being promoted from his role as U21 coach to succeed Luis Enrique, while Lionel Scaloni has delivered two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup as Argentina coach after also stepping up from the U20 role in 2018. And for all the criticism directed his way toward the end of his eight-year reign as England manager, Gareth Southgate transformed the fortunes of the Three Lions with two Euros final appearances and a World Cup semifinal after making the transition from U21 coach to senior manager in 2016.
Big names and glamour appointments are great for headlines, and Klopp and Zidane are both capable of translating their club success to the international stage. But Ancelotti, Tuchel and Pochettino proved this summer that big reputations in the club game count for little in the international arena. Klopp and Zidane are answering the call from their own country, unlike Ancelotti, Tuchel and Pochettino, so their circumstances are different from the others.
Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, Mikel Arteta, José Mourinho -- will still be prowling the touchline in the Champions League next season.