At the end of the previous decade, national team managers like Gregg Berhalter, Tite, Gareth Southgate, Didier Deschamps, and Jogi Low were the norm. Today, the landscape has shifted dramatically. The U.S. is led by Mauricio Pochettino, Brazil by Carlo Ancelotti, England by Thomas Tuchel, France by Zinedine Zidane, and Germany by Jurgen Klopp.
In 2019, these coaches were all at the helm of top European clubs: Pochettino at Tottenham, Ancelotti at Napoli, Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain, Zidane at Real Madrid, and Klopp at Liverpool. Maurizio Sarri, who moved from Chelsea to Juventus, summed up the sentiment by stating he didn't watch the 2018 World Cup because club soccer offered more to learn. He argued that national teams cannot be arranged in 30 days, and top club teams would beat any World Cup side.
Club soccer was the pinnacle, with better rosters, daily training, and higher pay. The best managers flocked to clubs for control, resources, and revenue. Now, with limited elite club jobs available—only a handful in England, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy—top coaches are turning to national teams.
This shift promises a new era where big, rich countries could become significantly better.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing