PROMOTION from our EFL Championship is undoubtedly the golden ticket for participating clubs.
It is worth at least £150 million even if a team subsequently finishes rock bottom of the Premier League table 12 months later. This bountiful scenario brings huge Championship outright betting participation.
Accordingly, fitting remuneration is paid to the coaches who plot a path to the top flight. Football betting activity quite rightly reflects the work these highly astute men put in on the training ground.
So who will be the best paid EFL Championship coaches in the new 2025/26 campaign? Here are the leading five according to intelligent estimates across various online sites…
Will Still
- Salary – £1.3 million per annum
- Club – Southampton
- Age - 32
- Date appointed – 25th May 2025
Will Still on Southampton: "I am so proud and excited to have joined Southampton building up to the new season. The club has huge potential and so there is a great opportunity to do something special here.
"My aim is to build a clear identity bringing a very positive future for the team. I will create a close-knit group of players to get Saints back to the Premier League where we belong."
Martí Cifuentes
- Salary – £1.1 million per annum
- Club – Leicester City
- Age - 43
- Date appointed – 15th July 2025
Martí Cifuentes on Leicester City: "It is a great personal honour for me to be appointed as manager of Leicester City. Having previously worked in England at Queens Park Rangers, I am aware that Leicester are a fantastic club with a proud history.
"Therefore it is a privilege for me to be asked to help write the next chapter. I am looking forward to getting to know the players, the supporters and the city in the coming weeks and months ahead. I am excited that we can begin this journey together because I can see the passion that exists at Leicester."
Kieran McKenna
- Salary – £1 million per annum
- Club – Ipswich Town
- Age - 39
- Date appointed – 16th December 2021
Kieran McKenna on Ipswich Town: "It was really disappointing to be relegated from the Premier League last season but our squad is strong and so we are looking for a bright future.
"We have a sensible supporter base who could see the jump we had made to the top flight after winning promotion. They appreciated our players attempting to compete in the toughest league in the world.
"My team is very much still together and united. So that will be a massive thing for us going forward now in this new Championship season and for years ahead."
Rubén Sellés
- Salary – £850,000 per annum
- Club – Sheffield United
- Age - 42
- Date appointed – 18th June 2025
Rubén Sellés on Sheffield United: "When I first heard about the possibility of joining Sheffield United, it was a no brainer for me. The club has tremendous history. My mission is to move the team forward and try to be even more competitive.
"The whole project is very powerful and ambitious with everyone on the same page. I think I am capable of building a good model to optimise our performances using all the tools we have. We want to be aggressive and make things happen in the Championship to give ourselves a very good chance of winning games."
Chris Davies
- Salary – £600,000 per annum
- Club – Birmingham City
- Age - 40
- Date appointed – 6th June 2024
Chris Davies on Birmingham City: "We’ve got the football but we’ve got the fight as well at Birmingham City. I’ve told my players our final total of 111 points last time out is a bit of history in sealing promotion as League One champions.
"It’s only possible to get that amount of points if you’re a proper team. We will take that momentum on into the Championship."
Read More:
- League Two salary figures and estimates
- League One salary figures and estimates
- Football predictions
- How much do Championship players get paid?
- Learn about the Championship playoff final
- The most expensive transfers in Championship history
*Credit for the image belongs to Alamy*
