5 legends who came back to manage their clubs in the last decade

#3 Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo managed Juventus in 52 games last season.

Andrea Pirlo is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. The Italian had a successful spell during his playing days, bagging 73 goals and 125 assists in 756 games in club football.

He was a huge force to be reckoned with. Even while representing Juventus during the twilight of his career, the legendary midfielder managed to capture the attention of the football world.

After calling time on his playing career, Pirlo returned to manage Juventus' U23 team in the summer of 2020. He was promoted to coach the senior team in less than two weeks, and had a decent stint for a fresher.

The tactician ran the affairs of the team for just one season, claiming both the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup. Overall, he was in charge of the club in 52 games, which produced 34 victories, ten draws and eight defeats.

However, under Pirlo, Juventus failed to win the Serie A title for the first time in a decade, leading to him getting relieved of his job.

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#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

The Norwegian was a fan-favourite at Old Trafford during his playing days.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed Manchester United's caretaker manager shortly after the dismissal of Jose Mourinho in December 2018. A couple of convincing results earned the Norwegian the coaching job on a full-time basis after three months.

So far, Solskjaer has guided The Red Devils to 92 victories, 35 draws and 39 assists in 166 games across competitions. This season has proven to be quite tough for the tactician, though. But he still has the backing of the club, partly because of his status as a Manchester United legend.

The Norwegian was a huge force to be reckoned with during his days as a Manchester United player. He bagged 126 goals and 50 assists for the club between 1996 and 2007, winning several trophies. That included six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.

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#1 Xavi Hernandez

Xavi Hernandez has been appointed Barcelona's new manager.

Xavi Hernandez is the latest football legend to be appointed as manager of his former club. The Spaniard has been given the nod to coach Barcelona following the expected sacking of Ronald Koeman last month.

Many expect the Blaugrana to return to their famous possession-based and pro-attacking system under the Spaniard. Xavi was a master of the art during his days in the Blaugrana midfield.

The Spaniard enjoyed a highly successful outing at Camp Nou, bagging 85 goals and 185 assists in 767 appearances. He also helped the club claim multiple honours, including four Champions League crowns, eight La Liga titles, eight Spanish Super Cups, and many more.