The Beautiful Game: Science Reveals the Hottest Premier League Managers
Published 10.16am on 5 December 2024 by Matthew Banks
You’ll be hard pressed to find a topic that UK football fans won’t debate.
Whether loved or hated, managers are just one of the hottest topics debated every day. They can go from loyally revered to poisonous leader in just a few results.
But what if it wasn’t just their tactics that are easy on the eye? What if an ugly 1-0 victory meant more than it seemed? What if the beautiful game got its name for a different reason?
Using the Golden Ratio, Slotswise has taken a mathematical formula long associated with beauty and symmetry to rank Premier League managers by their looks.
The Golden Ratio and Beauty Scores
The Golden Ratio (φ = 1.618) is a mathematical principle often found in nature, art, and design. When applied to human faces, it measures symmetry and proportion, elements traditionally associated with attractiveness, meaning a visually balanced face is approximately 1.618 times longer than it is wide.
With the help of facial analysis and Golden Ratio calculations, we’ve ranked the managers leading some of the most iconic clubs in English football and given them a beauty score out of 10. Let’s dive into the results.
Top Five Most Handsome Premier League Managers
1. Russell Martin – Southampton (8.5)
Despite his struggles as a Premier League boss so far, Russell Martin has been lauded for Southampton’s possession-based identity. He hasn’t dropped the ball with his appearance either, proving he can still turn heads in the top flight. Even his own players agree; when full-back Yukinari Sugawara signed for the club, he said: “I think Russell Martin is a handsome guy, you know? He has a long beard and good hair. I want to be like him after my football career.”
2. Mikel Arteta – Arsenal (8.4)
This guy just cannot escape second place. After two successive years of being a runner-up in the league, Mikel Arteta falls just short of Martin in the handsomeness league table. Arsenal fans can at least gloat that the manager of their North London rivals is down in 18th place though.
3. Andoni Iraola – AFC Bournemouth (8.3)
Andoni Iraola has been fantastic since taking over as the Bournemouth boss, completely turning round the fortunes of his side and giving Cherries fans dreams of a European tour next year. His team may have the third most offsides this season but his face is well and truly beating the lines as he sits just 0.1 points behind fellow Spaniard Arteta.
4. Ruud Van Nistelrooy – Leicester City (7.8)
He may have only been in charge for less than a week, but newly hired Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has got top four in one alternative Premier League table. Not to be Ruud, but Leicester may not be sitting so pretty if they didn’t make their recent managerial change from Steve Cooper.
5. Ruben Amorim – Manchester United (7.4)
The new manager bounce is real, with Ruben Amorim reigniting the belief around Old Trafford while simultaneously being the fifth hottest manager. In his first press conference as United manager, Amorim discussed the importance of improving the physical aspect of the team; leading by example it seems.
The Most Handsome Premier League Managers Table
| Club | Manager | Beauty Score |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton | Russell Martin | 8.5 |
| Arsenal | Mikel Arteta | 8.4 |
| AFC Bournemouth | Andoni Iraola | 8.3 |
| Leicester | Ruud Van Nistelrooy | 7.8 |
| Manchester United | Ruben Amorim | 7.4 |
| Manchester City | Pep Guardiola | 7 |
| Newcastle United | Eddie Howe | 6.9 |
| Ipswich | Kieran McKenna | 6.7 |
| Fulham | Marco Silva | 6.4 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Fabian Hurzeler | 6.2 |
| Chelsea | Enzo Maresca | 5.9 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Gary O’Neil | 5.7 |
| Crystal Palace | Oliver Glasner | 5.4 |
| Liverpool | Arne Slot | 4.9 |
| Nottingham Forest | Nuno Espirito Santo | 4.8 |
| Brentford | Thomas Frank | 4.1 |
| West Ham United | Julen Lopetegui | 3.3 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Ange Postecoglou | 3 |
| Aston Villa | Unai Emery | 2.7 |
| Everton | Sean Dyche | 2.5 |
The Bottom Three
18. Ange Postecoglou – Tottenham Hotspur (3)
Big Ange is known for his fierce stubborn ways. The Aussie has overseen a yo-yo season for Spurs; they’ve smashed Man City, Man United, and Aston Villa, but lost to Ipswich, Crystal Palace and threw away a two goal lead against Brighton. Maybe there’s a reason he won’t look anyone in the eye, as he’s in the handsome relegation zone. He just can’t seem to catch a break, mate.
19. Unai Emery – Aston Villa (2.7)
Despite a slightly disappointing season in the league for Villa, Unai Emery can do no wrong in the eyes of their fans. He took over from Steven Gerrard when they were 16th and then led them back to the Champions League this year, where they famously beat German giants Bayern Munich 1-0 in October. This may be a position that he can’t fly up the table in however, with his Golden Ratio rating being the second worst in the league.
20. Sean Dyche – Everton (2.5)
Oh Dychey. He’s having a tough season at Everton so far and this adds insult to injury. They are 17th in the league and he is dead last in the handsomeness table. Rumours about his future are beginning to pile up, and who knows, maybe eating worms isn’t the best skin care diet…
Methodology
We input three images of each manager looking directly at the camera into a golden ratio app to give us a score out of 10.
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