As a manager, Garcia coached Lille, Roma, Marseille, Lyon and had a season in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr before being appointed by Napoli in June 2023.

Rudi Garcia's father, José, was a Spanish expatriate who played football at a professional level for Sedan and Dunkerque.

[4] Between 1992 and 1994, Garcia enrolled for university, and gained a DEUG and a STAPS degree at Orsay, as well as French qualifications that entitled him to manage a youth training centre.

When José Garcia became the coach of local team Corbeil-Essonnes, he drafted his son into the squad, where Rudi played until cadet level.

Gradually, his role shifted to that of an assistant coach, a position he occupied alongside Nouzaret as from July 2000 and John Toshack afterwards.

At the same time, he was passing his Diplôme d'Entraineur Professionel de Football, the French equivalent of the professional coaching badge.

With players such as Romaric, Marko Baša and Yohann Pelé, the Sarthe club played some pleasant football which brought results as well.

In his first season, they developed a stylish and attacking approach, contrasting with previous coach Claude Puel's cautious and often boring tactics.

[citation needed] Garcia's approach ostensibly enabled players such as Ludovic Obraniak and Michel Bastos to develop, the latter becoming the club's top scorer in the league with 14 goals.

Garcia also gave significant playing time to promising youngster Eden Hazard, later of Chelsea and Real Madrid.

The latter himself was sacked from the board later in the month and on 18 June 2009, Michel Seydoux, the club president and major shareholder, offered the manager position again to Garcia, who accepted.

Aimé Jacquet, at the time, expressed his belief that the Nemours-born coach was one of the "brightest prospects" among French football managers.

In May, Garcia led les Dogues to triumph in the Coupe de France against Paris Saint-Germain, their first win in the trophy since 1955.

Roma had an impressive summer transfer activity, where they bought young talent Juan Iturbe, Salih Uçan and Antonio Sanabria.

Roma also signed Italian defender Davide Astori and veteran players Ashley Cole and Seydou Keita.

The club had also qualified for the knockout phase of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League by finishing in second place in their group with a tally of just six points.

Roma had been eliminated on home ground on penalties from the 2015–16 Coppa Italia at the first hurdle on 16 December 2015 by Serie B side Spezia.

[14] On 20 October 2016, on the same day that he was finally released from his Roma contract by mutual consent, Garcia was appointed manager of Marseille on a three-year deal.

[15] Garcia's appointment was made only three days after Frank McCourt completed the takeover of the club from Margarita Louis-Dreyfus by paying a reported €45 million.

[26][27] On 24 January 2025 Garcia was presented as the new head coach of the Belgium national football team, replacing Domenico Tedesco.

Garcia described his preferred playing style as 'a game based on possession, attacking, quick counter-attacking after regaining the ball and, most importantly, having a collective spirit.'

[30] Since 2014, he is in a relationship with Italian sports journalist Francesca Brienza, who formerly worked for the AS Roma TV channel during Garcia's time in charge of the Giallorossi.