What the outfit of Champions Managers tells us

The Champions magic night doesn't happened only between the players but also the coaches. Mythic, iconic figures, who live the games with the same intensity as the athletes and they transform the sidelines in a theatric scenography. And as skilled actors they use the clothes to better get a sense of their characters.  

Silicon Valley Guru

Pep Guardiola has not only changed football with tiki taka but also the manager's permissible wardrobe, bring in items from the Silicon Valley multimedia presentation. Light and slim chinos, roundneck monotone pullovers, outerwear brands and high fashion never seen before on a football pitch. 

And of course in the colder nights the never failing down puffer, the perfect item for whom perform a football game as an iPhone unveil. Light, functional and minimal, grant Guardiola the guru look its game philosophy confirms at each match. This kind of harmony between the look outside the pitch and the game itself has developed a following in the new wunderkinds grown with Football Manager. Like Julian Nagelsmann, the youngest Champions League manager, who looks like a Bitcoin expert on the Bayern Munich bench. 

Or the defending champion Thomas Tuchel, the joining link between the Guardiola's asceticism and the practicality of the germans, who use monotone pants and jumpers together with the iconic puffer vest like during last year Final.

Brand Ambassadors

The logomania had always found ground through the old school managers, with little time to spend on their image. For them the branded clothes given by the team are the easy solution, in form of ugly coats in foggy colors, and they usually wears those also in the most important matches of the season. 

A fashion idea similar to Gorpcore, for the way it opens up the gala nights of football for items originally designed for the outdoors. But if Yuriy Vernydub, the manager of this year Cindarella Sheriff Tiraspol, is perfect in his old Adidas coats we cannot said the same for Ole Gunnar Solskjær. His Manchester on the pitch is lazy and uninspired as his look on the sideline and the use of the ManUtd logo on all his clothes seems like a way to not being fired.

Jurgen Klopp during his Liverpool's experience used more and more team's kits and team's brands on the pitch. Except for the shoes because has become recently an Adidas Ambassador. 

And if commonly a manager who wear the team's coats looks like a defensive minded one, some great innovators like Bielsa or Sarri never take interest on their image. Without them in this Champions League only Julen Lopetegui, the Sevilla manager, has the same approach. It's a pity he has the superpower to get all of his clothes out of shape. 

Sunday dress

The arenas finally filled with fans, the hymn booming through the sound system, the hundreds of broadcast channels: the Champions League is a soccer gala for which everybody has to dress up. So even the ones who prefers to wear a tracksuit all day has to search for an old jacket for not look bad. 

Erik ten Hag for the european matches of his Ajax team usually adds a blazer to his roundneck jumper and white shirt. A tiny wrinkle, like he has a dress code to overcome for enter in the arena.  Gian Piero Gasperini instead give up his classic V-neck jumper for an Atalanta branded suit, a proof of the lack of formal clothes in his wardrobe. 

Jesse Marsch, the only Champions american manager, to avoid the Ted Lasso effect has settled for slim suit and tight ties but looks more at ease with a jeans and a hoodie. 

Dress to kill

Somebody else instead use a well made suit like a second skin and in the Champions matches exploit the charisma gap that this kind of item can provide. A clean suit can make you pop against the muddy grass of the pitch, make you calm, cool, and collected. 

Simone Inzaghi loves a modern cut with a classic white shirt and a tight tie because it allows him the kind of freedom of movement he needs on the sidelines. His colleague on the other side of Milan, Stefano Pioli, in Champions matches often use a three piece suit that give him a british aplomb even during the most hardfought match. 

But the real star of this category is Diego Simeone, with his iconic total black suit John Wick like and he moves on the sideline as he's chasing by hitmen. His Atletico Madrid is indistinguishable from his looks, brave, fierce and exuberant.