738 coaching changes in Europe: 63% of clubs replaced their coach
European men’s top-division clubs made 738 head-coach changes in the 2025/26 season. UEFA says this was 3% more than a year earlier. At least one change was made by 63% of clubs.
In September 2025, the governing body had been reporting improved stability. A year later, the proportion of clubs changing their coach was 3 percentage points higher.
Two seasons, the same question about patience
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s top-division clubs that changed their coach at least once | 60% | 63% | +3 percentage points |
| Newly appointed coaches who had been out of work for less than a year | 73% | 76% | +3 percentage points |
The table compares figures published by UEFA in September 2025 and September 2026.
UEFA describes approximately two thirds of the changes in 2025/26 as unplanned and made during the season. At the same time, a higher proportion of newly appointed coaches had returned to work before a year had passed.
Our assessment: frequent change does not prove effectiveness
In our view, these numbers challenge easy stories about patiently building teams. When most clubs make a change, announcing a new coach should not itself be treated as proof that a problem has been solved.
To assess such a decision, we would want to see its objective and the criteria for judging the successor. We would treat a coach’s return to work just as cautiously: a quick appointment is not a measure of improved results at the new team.
Table compiled and percentage-point differences calculated by the editorial team from UEFA publications. Illustration generated using AI.
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