Two football managers who were sacked from their former clubs this season have secured spots in the top five highest-paid coaches.
France Football has previewed the top five highest earners from a list of 20, which features some noticeable surprises.
5.) Ernesto Valverde (Barcelona, €23m)
Coming in at the number five spot is Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, who is pocketing €23m at the Spanish club.
The 55-year-old Spaniard signed a one-year extension with Barça back in February, with his side still in contention of winning a treble this season.
The reigning La Liga champions are ten points clear at the top of their domestic league and have progressed to the final of the Copa del Rey after beating archrivals Real Madrid in the semi-finals back in February.
Of course, Barcelona will resume their Champions League campaign next week when they take on Manchester United in the first leg of the quarter-finals.
4.) Pep Guardiola (Manchester City, €24m)
That’s right. Ahead of the current Barcelona boss is former Barça head coach Pep Guardiola, who is pocketing a cool €24m at Manchester City.
Similar to Valverde, the City boss has his eyes set on winning as many trophies as possible this season, which could potentially see the reigning Premier League champions lift a quadruple.
City captured the EFL Cup back in February with a victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, while they continue their march in the FA Cup this weekend when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the semi-finals.
While City are neck and neck in the Premier League title race with Liverpool, Guardiola’s men will take on Tottenham Hotspur in their first-leg Champions League quarter-final clash next week.
3.) Thierry Henry (N/A, €25.5m)
Thierry Henry’s first stint as a manager ended in complete disaster, but he did pocket €25.5m during his short stint with Monaco.
The Arsenal legend was appointed as Monaco head coach in October on a three-year deal, having replaced Leonardo Jardim following a shocking start to the season.
The 41-year-old Frenchman faced no easy task in the Stade Louis II dugout, with the club in a relegation battle at the time.
While Henry was able to make some signings in the January transfer window — bringing in the likes of former Gunners teammate Cesc Fàbregas from Chelsea — it wasn’t enough to save him.
He was sacked in January after 20 matches in charge, winning on four occasions, picking up five draws and 11 defeats.
Henry, who is reportedly set to return to coaching soon, was replaced at Monaco with the man who he had replaced. Yes, Jardim is back in charge at the former Ligue 1 champions!
2.) José Mourinho (N/A, €31m)
Oh, it wasn’t meant to be for José Mourinho. The Special One earned €31m during his time at Old Trafford, but a poor start to the season with Manchester United resulted in him being sacked in December.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær initially replaced him as caretaker boss, only for the United board to make that appointment permanent this month.
While the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager has been spending his time as a pundit on beIN SPORTS and has his show on RT, On the Touchline with José Mourinho, the Special One has claimed that he is a wanted man after revealing that he had already turned down management opportunities.
1.) Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid, €41m)
Diego Simeone tops France Football‘s list, with the Atlético Madrid manager pocketing €41m at the Spanish club.
The 48-year-old Argentine signed a new deal with Los Rojiblancos in February, keeping him at the Wanda Metropolitano until 2022.
While Atlético were knocked out of the Champions League this season at the hands of a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired performance for Juventus, Simeone has led the club to multiple honours during his tenure, including a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, a Supercopa de España and two Europa Leagues.
