The greatest Alex Ferguson, The Invincible Arsène, a record-breaking José, the modern Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, some of the greatest managers of world football, have also won the EPL Manager Of The Season Award.

In the English Premier League Best Managers of the Year Award, who’s won the most awards? And who’s the best in the EPL? You are about to know every award winner since its inception in 1994.

The English Premier League is often stylised as the EPL; it’s at its peak, currently ranked as the best and most competitive football league globally, and houses some of the best managers in world football.

The league has never been one-sided, especially since it was rebranded as the Premier League In 1992.

And what makes the league standout amongst the other leagues in the top five European leagues is the level of football managers.

Today, The Premier League houses some of the best football managers, from the Germans who often prioritise Gegenpressing to Spaniards that love possession-based football. It might interest you that every Premier League manager has a unique system.

This isn’t one team—a unique system powered by superstars winning the league title for seven consecutive seasons. Here, teams struggle to maintain a lead at the top amid heavy spending in the previous transfer market.

The tactical level in the EPL makes most teams a joy to watch even though they’re not playing their best. And the Premier League Manager of the Season was introduced to distinguish the best performing manager at the end of the season.

So whenever the big teams play an average side, we are not bothered because a shock could happen. And that’s the story of the Premier League.

English Premier League Best Managers of the (Season) Year Award 2022 < 1994

2021/2022?

2020/2021 – Pep Guardiola (Manchester City, Spain )

2019–2022 – Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool FC, Germany)

2018–2019 – Pep Guardiola (Manchester City, Spain)

2017–2018 – Pep Guardiola (Manchester City, Spain)

2016–2017 – Antonio Conte (Chelsea FC, Italy)

2015–2016 – Claudio Ranieri (Leicester City FC, Italy)

2014–2015 – José Mourinho (Chelsea FC, Portugal)

2013–2014 – Tony Pulis (Crystal Palace, Wales)

2012–2013 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

2011–2012 – Alan Pardew (Newcastle United, England)

2010–2011 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

2009–2010 – Harry Redknapp (Tottenham Hotspur FC, England)

2008–2009 – Alex Ferguson (Tottenham Hotspur FC, England)

2007–2008 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

2006–2007 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

2005–2006 – José Mourinho (Chelsea FC, Portugal)

2004–2005 – José Mourinho (Chelsea FC, Portugal)

2003–2004 – Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC, France)

2002–2003 Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

2001–2002 Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC, France)

2000–2001 George Burley (Ipswich Town, Scotland)

1999–2000 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

1998–1999 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

1997–1998 – Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC, France)

1996–1997 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

1995–1996 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

1994–1995 Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn Rovers, Scotland)

1993–1994 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, Scotland)

Managers with most EPL Manager Of The Year Awards

1. Alex Ferguson – 11 Awards

Andrea Sartorati, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s legendary manager, is the manager with most English Premier League Manager Of The Season Awards with 11. The Scottish football manager became the first to win the award in 1994 when he led Manchester United to the league title.

Ferguson singlehandedly dominated the English Premier League, winning 14 league titles across twenty seasons. His achievement ranks him today as one of the greatest football managers.

Before the Manchester United move, he’d already made some achievements in the Scottish football scene with Aberdeen, winning the league, the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Super Cup.

Outside the Premier League, Ferguson won the FA Cup, the League Cup, the UEFA Champions League twice, the European Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Ferguson broke the record in 2008 when he took Manchester United to victory in the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first English team to win the trophy.

Alex Ferguson took Manchester United to the current level as one of the greatest football clubs of the 21st century and a global brand. Today, United is one of the most supported soccer teams globally.

2. Arsène Wenger – 3 Awards

Ronnie Macdonald, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Frenchman Arsène Wenger remains one of the greatest managers ever in the history of Arsenal FC. He is second among the all-time Premier League Manager Of The Season Award Winners with three trophies.

Wenger led Arsenal to numerous English top-flight trophies, including the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the FA Community Shield.

Interestingly and a record most English football followers would never forget in a hurry, Arsène Wenger guided Arsenal to the longest top-flight unbeaten league run at 49 games between 2003 and 2004, receiving the nickname The Invincibles.

Arsène Wenger is the longest-serving manager at Arsenal FC. He won seven FA Cups, three Premier League titles, and seven Community Shields. He is one of the pioneers of modern-day football and was behind Arsenal’s status as a global brand.

Outside his achievement on the field of play, Wenger also introduced numerous rules and ideas that helped develop the team. His tactics in terms of player scouting and development made Arsenal one of the best globally.

With a minimal budget, Arsène Wenger was able to keep the team at the top despite heavy spending by top EPL clubs that increased the competition and hunger for trophies.

3. José Mourinho – 3 Awards

José Mourinho is one of the most excellent football managers of all time. The Portuguese wrote his name in Chelsea’s history after leading the club to their first Premier League title in 50 years. He won three awards.

Following his success with FC Porto in the Portuguese league, where he won the Primeira Liga twice, a Taça de Portugal, the UEFA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League, Chelsea owners considered him the right option for the top job.

When the London club was at a stage of rebuilding, Mourinho was able to win the Premier League consecutively in 2005 and 2006, along with two consecutive League Cups.

Mourinho returned to the club in his second stint at the London club, winning his third Premier League and League Cup. He is one of the greatest ever Chelsea managers.

4. Pep Guardiola – 3 Awards

Pep Guardiola, the author behind Manchester City globalisation, is the joint third winner of the Manager Of The Season.

Following his success in Spanish and German football, Pep Guardiola switched to the English Premier League following City Football Group’s takeover.

Since switching to the English top-flight, Guardiola has broken some impressive records, including becoming the first manager to win the domestic treble in English men’s football. He introduced a new system which has worked well for him.

Pep’s team currently ranks amongst the top five best squads globally amid heavy spending in the transfer market.

But despite reliance on established players, he has successfully managed to integrate young academy graduates with the first team players, a perfect example like Phil Foden, who has done excellently well since his introduction to the first team.

Pep Guardiola, with his dominating system, has since ignited a series of rivalries with top Premier League managers like Jürgen Klopp and, most recently, Thomas Tuchel.

Other notable winners of the Award include Leicester City’s Claudio Ranieri, who took the club to Premier League success in the 2015–16 campaign.

In the 2013/14 season, Tony Pulis pulled off the season’s shock when he took Crystal Palace out of the bottom three and accelerated the team to an impressive 11th-place finish in the Premier League.

German football manager Jürgen Klopp earned the award in 2020 following his successful campaign, which saw Liverpool break their thirty-year Premier League title drought.