People often focus on the scarcity of opportunities for British coaches, but from another perspective, it's also striking: in the sixth highest-earning league in European football, 16 clubs—two-thirds—are currently managed by coaches from the British Isles.
This is the famous EFL Championship, with its boisterous fans, considerable revenue, and a path to the Premier League. It has also attracted another 8 coaches—from Belgium, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and two Portuguese coaches—with more waiting for opportunities.
These individuals are all coaching in English football for the first time. While not all of them can succeed, statistically, at least one of them will be able to call themselves a Premier League manager after the Championship season.
Burnley – Fabio Celestini (Switzerland)
Middlesbrough – Kim Hellberg (Sweden)
Norwich City – Philippe Clement (Belgium)
Queens Park Rangers – Julien Stéphan (France)
Southampton – Tonda Eckert (Germany)
Swansea City – Vítor Matos (Portugal)
Watford – Alessio Dionisi (Italy)
Wolverhampton Wanderers – César Peixoto (Portugal)
Top coaches also see opportunities in England's second tier. Recently, watching two matches with Portuguese coach Vítor Campelos was a rare opportunity, which not only helped me understand the football here better but also its appeal to practitioners elsewhere.
Campelos has had offers both domestically and internationally, and opportunities to continue coaching in Europe's top leagues still exist. However, the allure of English football led him on an exploratory trip across both sides of the English and Scottish borders. This journey proved very fruitful for him.
It's always beneficial to watch a game with a true expert. Campelos has coached three different teams in Portugal's top league and won a championship in Slovenia earlier this year. He was impressed by Wolverhampton Wanderers' positioning away against Bristol City but wanted to see more rotation.
He appreciated Alex Scott-Twine's brilliant free-kick at Ashton Gate and spoke about how he motivates players by dividing them into groups to design set-piece routines for the weekend. "That way, they are much more invested because it's their own idea."
At Pride Park, Campelos noticed how Bolton dominated Derby. "Every time Rodrigues had space on the wing." Soon after, his compatriot scored the opening goal. However, the Championship is not always so predictable.
Derby made an unexpected comeback in the second half, winning 3-1 with only 30% possession. Campelos concluded, "Football is amazing." With 27,536 spectators, seeing a team that hadn't won in 10 matches secure a victory once again demonstrated the depth of English football.
Within the English football pyramid, Derby is currently ranked 43rd, but in Portugal, they would be the fourth-best team in terms of fan base, and by a significant margin. Campelos also mentioned the atmosphere in the away stand at Pride Park. Bolton brought 3,000 fans to this late kick-off game.
The appeal of the atmosphere may sound overly romantic, but it is very real. Muslic had few reasons to extol the uniqueness of English football, as his Schalke team had the largest away support in world football last season.
But he still misses his time at Plymouth Argyle, partly due to the pace of English football and the feeling of the stands truly participating in the game. It’s special. Muslic told Sky Sports: "Players always ask me what the Championship is like."
"I always tell everyone the same thing. You have to experience it for yourself. You have to go to England to play football, hopefully sign with a Premier League club; if not the Premier League, then the Championship, because the football here is so pure. I also love the atmosphere here."
Muslic is always full of emotion, and he gets particularly excited every time he recalls the sound of the ball hitting the net in an English stadium. "Every time you score," he said, "the first thing you hear is that roar. Only in England is it like that."
Germany also has loud fans, often with more visual impact, and the synchronized stand performances and continuous cheering songs, regardless of team performance, are also impressive. Muslic said that everything here is more organized. It's not better or worse, just distinctly different.
Fans are less likely to react spontaneously to the situation on the field. "That's the biggest difference. People in Plymouth cheer for a tackle. And once, after an aerial duel where we cleared the ball, everyone shouted: 'Yeah, hell yeah!' That's typically English."
Muslic, taking over from Wayne Rooney in a difficult situation, couldn't save Plymouth from relegation. However, his reputation soared after beating Liverpool in the FA Cup, ultimately leading to a move to Schalke, where he now coaches in the Bundesliga.
The Championship brings attention and opportunities. Muslic had to move to enter the European top league stage; but for others, it can be a more direct path to the top. Sergej Jakirović's work at Hull City last season proves this.
Hull City was not favored last season, having barely avoided relegation the previous season. But Sergej Jakirović led them to promotion through the playoffs. He knew he had little chance of getting one of the 20 Premier League managerial positions, but now he is a Premier League manager.
The Bosnian coach told Sky Sports: "I don't know many coaches like me who started from youth academies and made it here step by step. Mr. Acun Ilıcalı gave me the opportunity, and after leading the team to promotion, I am now in the Premier League."
"It's a great honor, and I'm proud of my journey. That's why I will give my all for success. Opportunities and jobs are not easy to come by, especially for someone like me from my home country. But you also have to seize your moment and opportunity."
Campelos and many coaches like him are waiting for their opportunity, and the success of Sergej Jakirović and others shows that, despite Brexit-related regulations, many visionary and capable coaches can still make an impact.
Although only one-third of Championship coaches are from continental Europe, five of the top eight come from there. When it comes to attacking football, coaching abroad can sometimes be easier to prove one's ability than in the lower English leagues.
For example, Campelos can point to his Slovenian team, NK Celje. A recent report by the CIES Football Observatory, which evaluated "ability to control the game" across 68 leagues and over 1,000 clubs, ranked NK Celje 26th. This is precisely the quality ambitious owners look for.
The Portuguese coach has great insights into coaching, tactics, and the psychology behind team cohesion. Two Championship clubs are already interested in him, and he is currently preparing to continue waiting for an opportunity.
For coaches, just like players, the dream is the Premier League. More and more people are realizing that the Championship is the path to achieving that goal.