There are 20 managers in the Premier League, one for each club. Each manager must hold a valid UEFA Pro Licence, or have started and be actively working towards one, with a 12-week grace period after appointment.
Who counts as a manager
Under the rules, a manager is the club official responsible for selecting the club's first team. The definition turns on that responsibility: whoever is responsible for selecting the first team is the manager for the purposes of the rules.
The role also carries formal duties beyond team selection. Managers must follow the code of conduct for managers, and clubs must follow the code of conduct for clubs; a failure on either side is a breach of the rules.
What the rules require
Here are the core requirements for a Premier League manager.
| Requirement | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Qualification | A valid UEFA Pro Licence, or actively working towards one |
| Grace period | The qualification rules do not apply for the first 12 weeks after appointment |
| Contract | Full details to the league within seven clear working days, with the standard clauses |
| Meetings | An annual pre-season meeting in person, plus any mid-season meeting |
| Media | Attend the required interviews and press conferences |
| Disputes | Heard by the managers' arbitration tribunal |
A club may also appoint someone who holds a diploma of a similar standard issued by another national association, or who has started and is actively working on the course to obtain one. Outside the grace period, a club may not employ anyone as manager without one of those qualifications.
The grace period is limited. The board may extend that period only if it is satisfied that the manager is standing in for another manager who is medically unfit to resume.
What clubs must file and what managers must do
A manager's contract must contain the standard clauses required by the rules and must state clearly when either side may end it. Within seven clear working days of the contract taking effect, the club must send the league full details of the manager's pay and benefits, and the same applies to any settlement or termination agreement.
Managers must attend an annual pre-season meeting in person and any mid-season meeting organised by the league or the referees' body. The club captain attends by video. Managers must also attend and take part in the interviews and press conferences required by the rules, and those arrangements must not interfere with match-day team responsibilities.
Extra staff needed for a UEFA licence application
For a club applying for a UEFA licence, employing a manager is only part of the staffing requirement. The club must also employ someone to assist the manager on first-team football matters who holds at least a UEFA A licence, and it must employ a goalkeeping coach.
Such a club must meet both the manager's own qualification requirement and these first-team staffing requirements.
FAQ
How many managers are there in the Premier League?
There are 20, because the league is made up of 20 clubs. The count is one manager per club under the rules for the person responsible for selecting the first team.
What qualification does a Premier League manager need?
The manager must hold a valid UEFA Pro Licence, or have started and be actively working towards one. A diploma of a similar standard from another national association also meets the rule.
Can someone manage a Premier League club without a Pro Licence?
For the first 12 weeks after appointment, the qualification rule does not apply. After that point, the club may not employ that person as manager unless the qualification condition is met, except where the 12 weeks are extended in the medical stand-in situation.
Where does a dispute between a manager and a club go?
It goes to the managers' arbitration tribunal. That is the route for a dispute between the manager and his club under these rules.