Alex Ferguson named only as second-best manager of all time by French publication

The Scot, who led United to 13 league titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles along with a host of other honours during 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, came behind former Ajax and Barcelona manager Rinus Michels in France Football’s list.

The outlet published a ranking of the top 50 club managers in history on Tuesday.

Michels is widely credited as the inventor of 'Total Football' in the 1970s and led Ajax to the European Cup, Barcelona to the La Liga title and the Netherlands to the 1988 European Championships during his managerial career. 

Bill Shankly (10), Matt Busby (11), Brian Clough (15), Herbert Chapman (24), Bob Paisley (26), Jock Stein (34), Vic Buckingham (36) and Sir Bobby Robson (39) were the other British representatives, while several active bosses were also included.

QUIZ!Can you name the 50 English players with the most Premier League minutes this season?

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is named at No.5, while former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is 13th.

Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool is at No.27, Newcastle United’s Rafa Benitez is 37th and current Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has been placed at No.48.

France Football said that in order to establish what makes a great coach with so many years and eras to consider, it “chose three main criteria: honours won at club level, the mark and legacy left on the game and personality. To which is added, implicitly, a fourth: the duration and impact of the career.”

France Football’s Top 50 club managers of all time

1. Rinus Michels
2. Sir Alex Ferguson
3. Arrigo Sacchi
4. Johan Cruyff
5. Pep Guardiola
6. Valeriy Lobanovski
7. Helenio Herrera
8. Carlo Ancelotti
9. Ernst Happel
10. Bill Shankly
11. Matt Busby
12. Giovanni Trapattoni
13. Jose Mourinho
14. Miguel Munnoz
15. Brian Clough
16. Marcelo Lippi
17. Nereo Rocco
18. Louis van Gaal
19. Ottmar Hitzfeld
20. Bela Guttmann
21. Fabio Capello
22. Zinedine Zidane
23. Viktor Maslov
24. Herbert Chapman
25. Jupp Heynckes
26. Bob Paisley
27. Jurgen Klopp
28. Albert Batteux
29. Guus Hiddink
30. Udo Lattek
31. Diego Simeone
32. Arsene Wenger
33. Vicente del Bosque
34. Jock Stein
35. Tele Santana
36. Vic Buckingham
37. Rafa Benitez
38. Hennes Weisweiler
39. Sir Bobby Robson
40. Dettmar Cramer
41. Mircea Lucescu
42. Tomislav Ivic
43. Stefan Kovacs
44. Luis Aragones
45. Frank Rijkaard
46. Otto Rehhagel
47. Raymond Goethals
48. Marcelo Bielsa
49. Antonio Conte
50. Jean-Claude Suaudeau