There’s a great anecdote in issue 17 of football quarterly The Blizzard about how Malcolm ‘Big Mal’ Allison, famed for his trademark fedora and fur coat, was upstaged – as Sporting Lisbon manager in the 1982 Portuguese Cup final – by his opposite number, Sporting Braga coach Quinito, who wore a tuxedo for the occasion.

Sadly, this sort of flex is the exception rather than the rule. Aside from a few ‘antihero pieces’ – Arsène Wenger’s bin bag coat, Tim Sherwood’s gilet, Tony Pulis’ magic hat – the touchline barely attracts any style commentary worth speaking about. There’s about as much panache on display as in the average Sam Allardyce side.

There are a few bosses, however, who make the beautiful game look good. To paraphrase Brian Clough, we wouldn’t say these are the best-dressed managers in the business – but they are in the top five.

Pep Guardiola

Guardiola’s swag is often spoken of in terms more breathless than Brazilian Ronaldo on the first day of pre-season training. But like his management style, Pep’s wardrobe is not beyond reproach.

His suits can be on the shiny side, and he frequently teams them with a belt, which is a yellow card offense in our book. (It saws you in half visually: besides, if you need a belt, then your suit doesn’t fit properly.)

That said, the Spaniard is indisputably a top, top, top managerial dresser. His tonal tailoring game is generally strong, as is his knitwear (including the odd roll neck). He’s no slouch in casualwear, either, and he’s even pulled off short-sleeved shirts.

The Tactic: Keep It (Fairly) Tight

No, we’re not talking about his porous defences. The main reason that Guardiola is in another league to his rivals is because his clothes, particularly his suits, are close-fitting.

Occasionally a little too close: in the return leg of last season’s Champions League quarter-final, he ripped his trousers on the touchline. There’s no movement, lads!