The 2026-27 Champions League season commences today, showcasing a blend of managerial tenures from fresh faces to seasoned veterans. Fourteen of the 36 participating clubs are guided by managers who have been in their current roles for less than a year. This contrasts with 14 managers who have been in charge for at least two years, with eight in the middle who qualified in their first full season.
History suggests that new managers can achieve European glory in their first season, with examples including Chelsea's two Champions League triumphs and Carlo Ancelotti's successes at Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique also won the competition early in their tenures at Barcelona.
Despite this, betting markets currently favour more established coaches. Paris Saint-Germain are the bookmakers' favourites, followed by Barcelona, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich, whose managers are among the 13 longest-serving as the league phase begins.
However, newness in a role does not always equate to inexperience. Real Madrid's new manager, José Mourinho, boasts 160 Champions League matches, placing him fifth all-time. In contrast, the combined total of the 24 least experienced managers in the competition is less than Mourinho's individual tally. Inter's Cristian Chivu has 10 Champions League games, more than the managers of Manchester City (six), Manchester United (one), and Liverpool (none).
As the competition gets underway, the immediate goal for all managers, regardless of experience, is to secure 16 points in the league phase, which has historically been enough to guarantee an automatic spot in the last 16.