5 managers who were sacked too soon by European giants

#3 Andrea Pirlo | Juventus

Andrea Pirlo won two trophies as Juventus manager.

Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo was appointed manager of his former club in the summer of 2020. It was a fairy tale, but the union lasted only one season.

In his second innings at Juventus, Pirlo claimed two trophies in just nine months on the job, but didn't win the Serie A title. His first trophy was the Supercoppa Italiana, where the Bianconeri claimed a 2-0 victory in the final. Pirlo also led Juventus to a 2-1 victory over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final. He also helped secured a UEFA Champions League spot on the final matchday.

In his 52 matches as Juventus manager, Andrea Pirlo registered a tally of 34 wins, ten draws and eight losses. That is a very good record for a manager with no prior senior-team experience. Pirlo’s first managerial appointment was at Serie C side Juventus U23.

That was just nine days before he took over from Maurizio Sarri as the senior team manager. Considering Pirlo had nearly zero work experience in the managerial role, the Juventus legend definitely deserved another season to set things right.

The Italian legend was just starting to get things right in the later stages of the 2020-21 season, losing only two and winning seven games. But Juventus' failure to defend their Serie A title and inability to win the Champions League put paid to Pirlo's hopes of staying on.

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#2 David Moyes | Manchester United

David Moyes is the current West Ham United manager/

Dubbed 'the chosen one'. David Moyes was personally handpicked by Sir Alex Ferguson as his long-term replacement at Manchester United.

However, the United board did not show the same level of trust as Ferguson, sacking Moyes just nine months into the job. The Scotsman did not receive much support in the transfer market either. Manchester United only signed Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini in Moyes’s first transfer window at Old Trafford.

Moyes endured a tough start to the 2013-14 campaign, and clearly needed time to adjust to the enormous demands and expectations at Old Trafford. At Everton, Moyes had the luxury of playing underdog. However, as manager of Manchester United, he was expected to set up attacking and clinical teams.

In 51 matches as Manchester United manager, Moyes had a record of 26 wins, ten draws and 15 losses. If he had been afforded more funds in the transfer market and perhaps a bit more time, he could have succeeded at Manchester United.

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#1 Andre Villas-Boas | Chelsea

Andre Vilas-Boas

Jose Mourinho’s former assistant manager Andre Vilas-Boas is one of the few top-level managers to have not had a professional career as a player.

Vilas-Boas was appointed following Carlo Ancelotti’s two-season-long spell at Stamford Bridge. Dubbed the 'Baby Mourinho', the Portuguese was one of the most exciting managerial prospects in the continent at the time. Vilas-Boas was appointed to the top job at Chelsea in the summer of 2011.

The Portuguese was just 33 at the time, and was coming fresh off a treble-winning season with Porto. He had led Porto to the Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and Europa League titles in the 2010-11 season.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is known to be ruthless with managerial appointments and dismissals; Vilas-Boas experienced that first-hand. The Portuguese could not last an entire season at Stamford Bridge, as he was sacked just eight months into the job.

In 40 matches as Chelsea manager, Vilas-Boas won 20 games, drew ten and lost as many.