Five greatest managers who never played professional football

4. Carlos Alberto Parreira (Fitness Coach)

Carlos Alberto Parreira coached Brazil to World Cup glory

Next on the list is Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. The Brazilian’s road to glory with his home nation began not as a player, but as a trainer. He was a physical trainer for several clubs in Brazil, when his first shot at management came with Kuwait in the late 70’s.

Parreira admits that he “started out as a fitness coach,” and that the only reason he took up a coaching job was because he was qualified. He adds “I reached a point in my life where I was so well qualified that I was almost pushed into taking on a head coach’s role. In Kuwait they asked me to take charge of their youth sides and that was the start of a long career.” And what a successful career it has been. It’s one that has included featuring in six World Cups with five different national teams, including Brazil, with whom he won the 1994 World Cup. Apart from that he has also won 2 Asian Cups, the Confederations Cup and a Copa America. Not bad for a fitness coach, eh?