Longest managerial reigns in football history

Longest managerial reigns: Football has changed a lot over the years. With all the nostalgia attached very few would not want to go back to the good old days when football was simple and more magic. However, none could argue against the fact that football is evolving. Things off the field have become much more scientific and practical.

There are quite a few exceptions around this fact. This largely comes down to the kind of money being thrown around in the sport. With the capital involved, expectations increase. Consequently, patience decreases. Due to which, players are being ruled out as flops within months of their arrival at a club. This, however, affects the managers much more. As an inability to produce immediate results, leads to immediate termination.

This is evident from the below given data, which represents the longest managerial reigns in football’s history. All 20 of these entries have come before the 1950s.

Longest managerial reigns before 1946

45 years of management these days sounds unfathomable let alone with a single club. These are the longest managerial reigns which started after 1946. As usual we will take a closer look at the most impressive among them.

1. Guy Roux 36 years, 5 months and 29 days

Guy Marcel Roux is without a doubt the biggest legend in AJ Auxerre’s history. The former midfielder joined the club in 1951 as a player. A decade later in 1961, he became the club’s player-manager. He would continue playing for the club until 1970, until his retirement.

Roux then transitioned into a full time manager. He guided the club to over 200 matches. This includes 890 Ligue 1 matches. He stepped down from his role in 2005 to retire from the sport. During the 36 years, his club won the 1995–96 Ligue 1 title. He also lifted four Coupe de France titles and the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

2. Ronnie McFall 29 years, 3 months and 4 days

Ronnie McFall holds the record while being at the helm of Northern Ireland outfit, Portadown. During his reign from 1 December 1986 to 5 March 2016, he won the club 23 trophies. This includes league titles in the 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96, 2001–02 seasons. With the 1st one being their maiden league title. He departed the club after being the manager for 1,483 league fixtures.

3. Alex Ferguson 26 years, 6 months and 13 days

Viewed by many as the most legendary manager the sport has ever witnessed. None could argue against his longevity at the highest level in the most challenging division in football. Ferguson’s reign at Manchester United is the club’s most successful era.

From 1986 to 2013 he won 38 trophies at the club. This includes 13 league titles and a couple of UEFA Champions League trophies.

Longest managerial reigns (post-1946)

As mentioned earlier, modern football does not allow managers to have long enough reigns. It is safe to say the pre 1946 era reigns will remain untouched. So will Guy Roux’s reign. In terms of current managers, Stephen Baxter has a good chance of making it to the top three.