Europe's next top bosses after Arne Slot's surprise surge to glory - A 36-year-old former philosophy student spotted by Roberto De Zerbi, the German rising star compared to Hansi Flick and Italy's nex

A couple of years ago, only Nostradamus or Paul the Octopus could have predicted that Arne Slot would lead Liverpool to their next Premier League title.

Even once the Dutchman had been appointed to fill the gigantic shoes of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, the believers had switched back to doubters again, at least for a while.

Now, the 46-year-old has etched his name into the history of the club and established himself as a world-leading coach.

Slot's success at Feyenoord was well documented but there was plenty of frantic googling when he landed the Liverpool job and most wouldn't have been familiar with him as a character or his work.

There seems now to be a changing of the guard across Europe, with a fresh crop of young and ambitious managers out to make their mark.

So, who could be the next surprise runaway success? Where might your club pluck the next Klopp, Pep Guardiola or Slot from? Here, Mail Sport looks at the batch of managers aiming to separate themselves from the pack.

Arne Slot's Premier League triumph with Liverpool was not expected at the start of the season

Slot is one of the next generation of top coaches and there are other up-and-coming stars

Sebastian Hoeness

You'll recognise the surname and Sebastian is Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeness' nephew.

But he's not just a Nepo baby. The 42-year-old's success in the dugout has been remarkable already.

He was the first manager to lead a reserve side to the title in the German third tier when in charge of Bayern's youngsters in 2019/20.

The second half of their season was remarkable as they compiled 43 points from a possible 57 and clubs began to start taking notice of the young boss.

Hoffenheim spotted his talent and he leapt straight into the deep waters of the Bundesliga, leading them to two mid-table finishes before joining Stuttgart.

They finished second behind Bayer Leverkusen in a brilliant campaign with a brave attacking style led by Serhou Guirassy.

He has been compared with Hansi Flick and plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, with swashbuckling forward play delivering a famous win over Juventus in the Champions League and notable 5-1 demolition job of Borussia Dortmund.

On his current trajectory, it won't be long before one of the European superpowers take a punt on Hoeness.

Sebastian Hoeness is one of the rising stars of management in Germany

The Stuttgart boss led the team to a second place finish last season in the league

Thiago Motta

Don't hold his dismissal at Juventus against him, Motta is one of the rising stars of his coaching generation and seen by many as Italy's next great hope.

He could hardly say no to the giants of Italian football after producing a scintillating campaign at Bologna.

But the Old Lady is losing her marbles a bit and the young manager found himself struggling to reconcile the reality of the squad with the expectations on them to be competing at the top of the table.

A run of poor results saw him sacked earlier this year and he's considering his next project, making him among the more likely candidates on this list to take the plunge into the Premier League.

Motta's progressive football is his philosophy come rain or shine and he refuses to be pragmatic, which might sound familiar to disciples of Pep Guardiola or Ange Postecoglou.

'When I accepted this role with great enthusiasm, I knew it would be a three-year project, based on a profound revolution of the team and its radical rejuvenation,' he reflected.

'I know very well that at clubs of Juventus’ level, you have to win. The project didn’t go the way we wanted or imagined.'

Thiago Motta was unable to last the season at Juventus but is still highly regarded

Motta plays an attacking style and did superbly at Bologna before moving to Juventus

Motta has already proved his mettle in the dugout despite the Juventus sacking. He kept minnows La Spezia in Serie despite a transfer ban before taking the hotseat in Bologna.

His side had the highest number of duels, tackles and interceptions in the top flight and were ultra aggressive in the press.

Rotation of player roles and flexibility are also hallmarks of his sides and no doubt Premier League clubs will be well aware of his credentials, even if his style could be seen by some as high-risk.

Motta speaks four languages but is not fluent in English, which could count against him as a potential candidate.

Edin Terzic

Terzic was part of the same UEFA Pro Licence class as Graham Potter, Nemanja Vidic and Nicky Butt.

Potter has had mixed fortunes and his stock is at this point lower than Terzic, who led Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last year.

His team also missed out on the Bundesliga on goal-difference on the final day of the season to Bayern Munich in the 2022-23 season.

Edin Terzic led Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League final last season

He has been out of work since walking away from Dortmund last summer and at 42, has plenty of time to weigh up the right opportunity.

Terzic will leave no stone unturned in his preparation and even pretended to be a steward to access a Real Madrid closed training session to work out who their penalty takers would be.

His teams tend to dominate the ball but he's happy to be pragmatic when necessary and become more direct against technically superior sides.

Out of possession, he prefers a more passive and structured approach to engaging in a high press. He started his career as an analyst and that flexibility remains in the way he coaches.

Domenico Tedesco

Who better to describe the style of play than the man himself: 'I always want my teams to divide the space well,' Tedesco has previously explained.

'I like to compare it to a boxer, who should never let his guard down. On top of that, we want to win the ball back as often as possible because we love attacking – although always with a certain balance and structure, to be able to control any transitions.'

Tedesco's reputation has dipped in the last couple of years but he's still just 39 and already experienced for his age.

Domenico Tedesco's promising start to management has taken a hit but he is still regarded as a talent

Tedesco impressed at Spartak Moscow then RB Leipzig before taking the Belgium job

The former Belgium boss led Spartak Moscow to the Champions League before joining RB Leipzig where he won the German Cup in 2022.

Unfortunately the next season started off poorly and he was given his marching orders and took charge of Belgium in 2023.

The aging golden generation's best chance of silverware appears to have disappeared and they struggled at Euro 2024. Thibaut Courtois even refused to play due to the poor performances and they severed ties with the manager in January.

Tedesco's next step feels like a vital one for his career and if he can resurrect the early promise of his time in Russia and the Bundesliga, big clubs will be sniffing around again.

Matthias Jaissle

The first young and promising manager on the list to be plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.

The league has been trying to attract the best youngsters in world football but perhaps snaring Jaissle is a sign that up-and-coming bosses see it as a place to cut their teeth.

Jaissle started the hard way at Liefering, taking the small Austrian side to second in the top flight, equalling their highest ever finish.

Matthias Jaissle jumped ship from RB Salzburg to take charge of Al-Ahli

RB Salzburg signed him up and he led them to the domestic title and Europa League knockout stages before parting ways just one day before the following season started.

A punchy statement put out by the club, read: 'We believe that a coach who is so intensely considering a potential club transfer just two days before the start of an important season should not be present at this kick-off.

'We want to start the new season with full energy and conviction. To achieve this, we need 100 percent focus from everyone involved.'

The club in question was Al-Ahli, where the likes of Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney now ply their trade.

Jaissle led them to third in his first season and his stock remains high. With time on his side, no doubt it is a matter of when, rather than if, the 37-year-old heads back to Europe.

Francesco Farioli

How many managers have studied philosophy at the University of Florence?

It has been an unorthodox path to the top for 36-year-old Ajax boss Farioli but he is emerging as a hugely talented operator, leaving his studies to immerse himself in coaching.

Francesco Faraoli has worked tirelessly at various levels and is now at Ajax

With no playing career to speak of, he's had to prove himself time and again, starting off as a goalkeeping coach at Margine Coperta, a tiny Italian side, before making it to Lucchese in Serie C.

His ambition then took him to Qatar to coach as goalkeeping coach of their U16s side and it was there that he met Roberto de Zerbi.

That meeting would have a profound effect on his career trajectory, with De Zerbi bringing him to Benevento with him and then Sassuolo.

He made the leap from goalkeeping coach to assistant at Alanyaspor in Turkey and finally secured a managerial role of his own at Fatih Karagümrük, aged just 31.

Faraoli performed well and secured the top job at former side Alanyaspor before his first serious leap to take over at Nice. They qualified for the Europa League under his stewardship and in May last year he became the first ever Italian coach of Ajax.

Unsurprisingly, he shares a number of tactical aspects with De Zerbi but a key part of his philosophy is compactness, in his own area and then the opposition's, flooding the box when possible.

Short passes and quick exchanges are the order of the day and Ajax are on course to win the Eredivisie.

Farioli's rise has been remarkable and he's even been linked with the Roma job in the last week.

Short passes and quick exchanges are the order of the day and Ajax are on course to win the Eredivisie

Cesc Fabregas

The most well known name on the list but most of that recognition will come from the Spaniard's brilliant playing career.

No doubt his reputation as a Premier League legend and World Cup winner commands immediate respect from his players but what about Fabregas the coach?

Back in 2023, he took over Como's B team and Under-19 side before taking charge of the seniors on an interim basis.

He was not allowed a full time contract due to his lack of UEFA coaching qualifications so stayed on as assistant until he was officially appointed on a four-year deal from 2024.

Given Fabregas' education at Barcelona, it is perhaps no surprise that he operates in a 4-3-3 with an emphasis on short midfield passing.

He wants all three midfielders to rotate in terms of the roles they play, rather than having a traditional No 6, 8 and 10.

As an education goes, it doesn't get much better. Fabregas previously told the Guardian: 'I try to have phone calls with people who have been in the game for a long time.

Cesc Fabregas has impressed at Como and been linked with the Roma job

'My aim is to improve, so I want to talk and debate. I want to take ideas from people around me. This is something I’m really passionate about.

'In my career as a player, I worked under Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque. I’ve been very, very lucky.'

Como are sitting comfortably mid-table and Fabregas has been linked with the Roma job in the last week.

No doubt there will be more suitors lining up for the 37-year-old and given his impeccable English and experiences in the Premier League, it wouldn't be a shock to see him on these shores again.

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