From the recognizable name of Luis Enrique to young managers like Francesco Farioli, these new faces have their squads in impressive positions in the table. Here’s a look at how these coaches are faring after the first half of the season.

Luis Enrique: Paris Saint-Germain (40 points)

The Spanish tactician arrived in the French capital this past summer to take charge of a rebuilding PSG squad. Gone were the likes of Neymar Jr., Lionel Messi, Marco Verratti, and Sergio Ramos. The Parisians had also brought in several new faces and needed Enrique's touch to gel the team. After a bumpy start to the Ligue 1 season, he now has PSG atop the league table with a five-point lead over OGC Nice. Additionally, PSG's attack is beginning to find its footing, which Enrique wanted to establish, as he told the club's website upon his hiring.

"I think that anyone who has seen my teams play knows a bit about my ideas. I'm clearly an attacking coach. My staff and I want a team that plays from the first minute, a team that doesn't hold back and that attacks. We want our fans to enjoy themselves and the players to enjoy representing Paris Saint-Germain."

Francesco Farioli: OGC Nice (35 points)

It takes a special kind of manager to come into a club at 34 and have his squad buy into his ideas. Nonetheless, that's what Farioli has done this season with Nice since arriving this past summer. He has the team in a Champions League spot for next season and is battling for the Ligue 1 title with PSG. The Italian tactician also has impressive road wins over the Parisians and AS Monaco as statement victories that have garnered the attention of Europe. 

Adi Hütter: AS Monaco (33 points)

Another manager who arrived in the summer is Adi Hütter. The Austrian has Monaco in a Champions League position for next season as well. Monaco has had talented squads in the recent past, but it seems Hütter is pushing all the right buttons to get the most out of the team. The 53-year-old recently told Monaco's website that he's keen on adding to the club's rich history, and so far, he's heading down the right path with the Rouge et Blanc.

"Recently, I obviously followed the 2016-2017 season which saw them win the French title and that great campaign in the Champions League. But long before that, I was already watching AS Monaco in European competitions especially."

"There have always been great players here, and I could see that when I arrived at the Performance Center, with this wall at the entrance. Looking at it, we remember that this or that star played here. Of course I can think of players like Kylian Mbappé, Radamel Falcao, Fabinho, Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet… There are so many!"

Patrick Vieira: RC Strasbourg Alsace (23 points)

Vieira returned to Ligue 1 this past summer after taking over at Strasbourg. Although he's not a new face, considering the Frenchman managed OGC Nice from 2018 to 2020, it's hard not to recognize a job well done with Strasbourg. The eastern side barely avoided relegation last season, but this campaign, Vieira might have his squad believing that playing in Europe next season is a possibility. Although in ninth place, Strasbourg are just five points behind Lille, who they beat in the final match of 2023, for the UEFA Conference League spot.

Gennaro Gattuso: Olympique de Marseille (27 points)

All the managers mentioned above came in the summer and had a preseason with their squad. Meanwhile, Gattuso needed to jump into his managerial position midseason. Marcelino’s resignation after just seven matches forced the club to pivot quickly and they called upon the Italian to steer the ship. It was a rocky start for Gattuso but OM are now unbeaten in their last six matches and have picked up wins in four of those contests, putting them firmly in the race for Europe next season.

Pierre Sage: Olympique Lyonnais (16 points)

The point total doesn't tell the entire story about Pierre Sage's success in such a short time. Lyon were in the relegation zone and had sacked two managers (Laurent Blanc and Fabio Grosso) upon his arrival. Sage assumed the first team role from the club’s youth ranks but the squad has nonetheless responded to the Frenchman as OL have won three straight matches to climb out of the relegation zone and end 2023 on a positive note. The next task for Sage will be to pull Lyon further from the relegation battle and climb the Ligue 1 table.