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Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti – two of the most successful top players turned managersThey say great players make the worst football managers; too much of their games are based on instinct and natural talent for them to be able to translate their wonderful firsthand knowledge of the game - a perspective that no one watching from afar could hope to share – onto the blackboards and into other people’s heads.The beautiful game’s history is littered with examples of such players turned managers; Ruud Gullit, Hristo “I don’t need tactics” Stoichkov, Paul Gascoigne, even the greatest of them all - Diego Maradona - have failed spectacularly at managing football teams.At the same time, there are always exceptions to the rule – quite a lot of them in this case actually – and here we take a look at 10 top coaches who have embarked on successful management stints after hanging up their boots on similarly (if not more) spectacular playing careers.Author’s note – The list is in no specific order. Feel free to add your own favourites in the comments section.
#1 Roberto Mancini
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With all the hoopla and controversy surrounding Roberto Mancini’s brilliantly colorful time at Manchester City, it is often forgotten by the modern football fan just how good a manager the stylish Italian really is.
He has seen plenty of highs and lows in a managerial career that started off at financially handicapped Fiorentina (whom he led to a Coppa Italia - kicking off what is a truly remarkable run in which he has led each of his clubs to at least the semifinal of a major national cup competition in ever season he has been in charge – till date) and equally struggling Lazio (whom he led to a semifinal in the UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia title).
His successes despite being shackled financially earned him a move to Inter Milan – where he led the great club through a magnificent period that included three consecutive Scudettos and two Coppa Italia crowns.
His next gig was the now infamous gig at City where although he was bankrolled by Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s millions, it has to be acknowledged that leading an often ill-disciplined and unorganized City from lower mid-table anonymity - through becoming the “noisy neighbours” – to genuine title favourites was an admirable feat.
As a manager his teams are generally tightly drilled and defensive minded to the point of being “park-a-bus” (his ’07-’08 Inter side conceded just 26 and the notoriously leaky City defence conceded just 33 in his first full season in charge there).
You would never guess it from the way he talks about the importance of defense these days, but Mancini was a twinkle toed devil of a trequartista – a playmaking genius whose vision, creativity and uncanny knack of producing spectacular finishes are not truly appreciated by many these days. His greatest time as a player came at little Sampdoria – where his partnership with Gianluca Vialli would become the stuff of legend.
Now, back in Italy with a coaching role at Inter – it remains to be seen if he can drag the Nerazzurri out of the quagmire they are stuck in.
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Sampdoria, Lazio) - 2 x Serie A, 6 x Coppa Italia, 2 x UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup,1 x UEFA Super Cup
- As a manager - (Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Galatasaray) 3 x Serie A, 4 x Coppa Italia, 1 x FA Cup, 1 x English Premier League, 1 x Turkish Cup
#2 Carlo Ancelotti
When you see Carlo Ancellotti seated on the bench - calm demeanour betraying no emotion you feel confident; confident that regardless of what his team is up to on the pitch, this man will win you games.
As a player, he was no different; his calm presence in the heart of midfield leading Roma (as captain) to four Coppa Italia titles and a Scudetto. He moved on to Milan, where under that grand old master Arrigo Sacchi he became an integral part of arguably the greatest club side the world has ever seen.He was able to use his almost supernatural ability to read the flow of the game both in defense and in attack his tactical nous well complemented by excellent technical ability, a wide passing range and a powerfully accurate shot.
His managerial career started off with rather mercurial stints at Reggiana (who he guided to promotion from Serie B), Parma (who he led to a remarkable second place) and Juventus (where two consecutive runner-up finishes earned him a rather heartless sacking). The ridiculous sacking by the Bianconeri would have crushed most peoples spirit, but Ancellotti had never been the sort that just gave up.
Returning to his old stomping ground with A.C.Milan, he set about laying the foundations of the wonderful Milan side of the mid 00s. It was also here where he learned to accommodate the owners (and fans) mandate (s) and adopt a more creative style incorporating the big names in the squad without compromising on the integrity of his playing eleven. He led Milan to two Champions League titles and a Scudetto, before moving on to Chelsea where he won the domestic double. He then left for Paris Saint-Germain where he successfully managed to mould the disparate collection of superstars at his disposal into a cohesive, entertaining unit.
Now working under the glare of the famously impatient and almost unreasonably demanding Santiago Bernebau leadership (and faithful) he has managed to create one of the most exciting footballing sides on the planet whilst managing the often hare-brained Galactico acquisition policy superbly. Guiding Real to that much elusive la Decima last year following a dominant European campaign was a sure vindication of the great mans talent.
MAJOR TITLES
- As aplayer(Roma, AC Milan) - 2 x Serie A, 4 x Coppa Italia, 2 x European Cup, 2 x UEFA Super Cup, 2 x Intercontinental Cup
- As amanager (Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid) - 3 x UEFA Champions League 1 x Serie A, 1 x Coppa Italia, 1 x FA Cup, 1 x English Premier League, 1 x Ligue1, 1 x Copa Del Rey, 1 x FIFA Club World Cup
#3 Pep Guardiola
When Johann Cruyff went about building his “Dream Team” in the early ‘90s, he set about inculcating a philosophy that has paid rich dividends for the great club ever since – ensuring promising young academy graduates got into the first team.
Arguably the greatest of that first generation of La Masia alumni was Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola. Catalonia’s favourite son displayed brilliant tactical awareness to go along with his exceptional technical ability to become a deep lying playmaker who dictated the tempo of the game and became a virtual coach-like figure on the field.
After more than a decade of success wearing the hallowed Blaugrana jersey, Pep had short stints at Brescia, Roma, Al Ahli (in Qatar) and Dorados (in Mexico) – where he trained for his coaching badges as his playing career drew to an end.
His first job was with his first love – Barcelona B – the team that fields the cream of La Masia’s greenhorn talent. Soon though, he was promoted to coaching the senior team. His four year stint was one of the most successful ever in the modern age and brought Barca an incredible 14 trophies years, including winning the treble in his debut season.
The Barcelona of 08-12, was one of the great club sides of the modern era- the “tiki-taka” philosophy he inculcated, bringing to Barca an air of invincibility that seemed to intimidate opponents even before they stepped on the pitch; where more often than not they would be played off the park – the Catalan’s incessant pressing, high-speed precision passing and the inimitable genius of Lionel Messi proving too much for anyone in their paths to handle.
He quit rather unexpectedly while Barca were at their very peak, and after a break year, took over at Bayern Munich. At the Bavarian club he has sought to tweak Jupp Heynckes inimitable way and has sought to take the German giants to even higher places – their absolute domination of the Bundesliga a fitting reminder of Pep’s talent
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Barcelona) - 6 x La Liga, 2 x Copa Del Rey, 1 x European Cup, 1 x UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup- As a manager (Barcelona, Bayern Munich) – 2 x UEFA Champions League, 2 x Copa Del Rey, 2 x FIFA Club World Cup, 3 x La Liga, 1 x Bundesliga, 1 x German Cup
#4 Diego Simeone
There is a scene in the in the wonderfully well made ‘Remember the Titans’ where Wood Harris, brilliantly playing the role of a young high-school linebacker (Julius Campbell) defends his actions by telling his captain “attitude reflects leadership”. While this is true in all walks of life, it is especially so in the world of sports; and no sports team currently going about their business provides a better example of this than Atletico Madrid.
The lesser known Madrid club have risen back to prominence over the past few years with displays of rabid intensity, ferocious determination, astute tactical sense and an “I’d rather die than lose” spirit – all qualities their coach was renowned to possess; Diego Simeone - a rabid wolverine walking about in human form - always played the game with an intensity and aggression that few could match.
As legendary as his playing career was – third most capped player for Argentina (with whom he won a couple of Copa America titles), a double winner with Atletico and Lazio and a UEFA cup winner with Inter (throughout his career El Cholo was the steel spine on which many a successful side was built; his ability to pop up with the occasional important goal never hurt either) – it is in serious danger of being overshadowed by his exploits as a manager.
He had won domestic titles with Estudiantes and River Plate back home in the Argentine Primera Division, before he truly made his name with a switch to Europe (after a brief spell he did in the Sicilian coast with Catani a - where he saved them for what looked like certain relegation) and his old stomping ground at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.
His typically Argentine (read Marcelo Biesla) style of play – constant, incessant pressing off the ball, with almost insultingly direct attacks when on it – has transformed the club into a monstrous fighting machine (despite losing key players every season) which delivered the club’s first real run of silverware with a UEFA Europa League victory followed up by a Copa Del Rey and eventually the La Liga Crown last season (won by salvaging a draw against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in one of the most epic finales to a football season in Spain)
MAJOR TITLES
As a player – (Atlético, Lazio, Inter, Argentina) - 1 x La Liga, 1 x Copa Del Rey, 1 x Coppa Italia, 1 x Coppa Italia, 1 x UEFA Cup, 2 x Copa America, 1 x FIFA Confederations Cup and an Olympic silver medal
As a manager – (River Plate, Estudiantes, Atlético) - 2 x Argentine Premiera Division, 1 x UEFA Europa League, 1 x Copa Del Rey, 1 x La Liga
#5 Vicente Del Bosque
We have had football managers celebrated and honoured before, knighted even, but when was the last time you looked at a football bench and realized that the official title of the gaffer is “Ilustrísimo Señor Marqués de Del Bosque (The Most Illustrious Marquis of Del Bosque)”.
Arguably, no one in world football would be so well suited for that absolutely brilliant (hereditary!) title as the current coach of Spain and former Real Madrid legend - Vicente Del Bosque. For even without the title, Del Bosque is footballing royalty. He was an integral part of the Real Madrid side that dominated Spanish football in the second half of the seventies, his understated presence just in front of the back four lending the team solidity at the back and a classy foundation upon which the creative members of the team wreaked havoc in the opposition half.
It was at his own club where he got his chance at managing – rising through the ranks from Real Madrid B to become the coach of the senior team in ’99. In his four years at the helm, he steered Los Galacticos through arguably the most successful period in the club’s recent history. With his iceberg like calmness and vast patience, Del Bosque had done the virtually impossible (as almost all of his many successors have found out) and managed the egos, the public pressure and all the associated nonsense with aplomb and had delivered a truly great footballing side – as solid as it was entertaining.
He never once fell apart even though very often the ‘galacticos’ were bought on the whims of the top leadership - marketing considerations overruling sporting ones (as ever) at the grand old club. However, sacking the great man in ’03 was arguably the craziest decision of them all.
After a brief hiatus (and an unsuccessful spell at Besiktas), he returned to managing, replacing the hugely successful Luis Aragones as the head of La Furia Roja, and leading his national team to unprecedented glory – the 2010 World Cup and a convincing title defense two years later at the Euros sealing his and his team’s place amongst the greatest of all time.
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Real Madrid) - 5 x La Liga, 4 x Copa Del Rey- As a manager (Real Madrid, Spain) - 2 x Champions League, 2 x La Liga, 1 x Intercontinental Cup, 1 x European Championship, 1 x World Cup
#6 Fabio Capello
Say the name Fabio Capello and the response you will elicit from most modern fans of the game is a rueful shake of the head and some jumbled muttering about how no one can make football more boring. They are right, of course – few international teams have been as dour as Russia in the World Cup earlier this year, and the England team under the bespectacled Italian was as dull as they ever have been. But remembering Capello for his latest two exploits is as cruel as it is unjust.
The man had a touch of genius about him – taking over from the great Arrigo Sacchi at Milan, he defied both popular opinion and critics alike by winning four Scudetti in the five years he was on the bench at the San Siro. In the middle of this came, arguably the greatest performance seen in European club competition when his Rossoneri absolutely eviscerated Johann Cruyff’s fabled dream team. 4-0 the scoreboard read at the end of ninety minutes
He moved on to Real Madrid, where he yet again surprised one and all by putting out teams brimming with attacking flair and winning the title in the single season he was there – tussles with then chairman Lorenzo Sanz and popular backlash from his playing off Raul on the left wing - a move seen as demeaning Madrid’s favourite son, and by extension the city itself. A return to Milan didn’t go anywhere near as well as his original stint, and he soon shifted off to another former club – Roma, where he brought with Batigol, joy and success leading the success starved club to the Scudetto in ’01. But soon the club went into difficulties financially, and he moved off to Juve – where his successes were written off when the club found itself in the heart of the ugly 2006 Calciopoli scandal.
A return to Madrid, went true to form –winning La Liga, yet drawing brickbats for his defensive style and falling out with many of the ‘galacticos’. This was followed by his rather ill-fated stints at England and Russia.
Regardless of his recent lows, Capello is one of the great remaining tactician, displaying the same tactical awareness he displayed as a defensive midfielder at Roma, Juventus and A.C.Milan in the ‘70s, making up for his lack of pace with an excellent reading of the game.
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Roma, Juventus, AC Milan) - 4 x Serie A, 2 x Coppa Italia- As a manager (A.C. Milan, Real Madrid, Roma) - 1 x UEFA Champions League, 5 x Serie A, 2 x La Liga
#7 Antonio Conte
What is it about these Italian defensive players that make them such great managers? Maybe it’s intrinsic genius, maybe it’s the tactical awareness they are instilled with as players in what used to be the most tactically demanding league on the planet – whatever it is, the nation and it’s league has produced some exceptional tacticians who were able to translate their brilliance on the pitch to training grounds and blackboards, and become great managers. Antonio Conte is the latest entrant on that long honour-roll list.
Conte was an utterly magnificent footballer, marshaling the Juventus midfield for 13 long years – his incredible tenacity and leadership skills combined with excellent technical ability and spot-on tackling holding together the Bianconeri and turning many an opposition attack right on their heads. His time at Juve was a wonderful time for the North Italian club – domestic domination accentuated with four Champions League finals appearances (although they tragically lost three of those). He also represented Italy ably in the ’94 world Cup and ’00 Euros – the Azzurri finishing both campaigns as runners-up.
His managerial career started off with stints at Arezzo, Bari (leading them to promotion to the Serie A), Atalanta and Siena (again, leading the Serie B side to promotion) before he landed his dream job and came back to where he made his name as a player. His time at Juve was marked with his preference to the 3-5-2/5-3-2 formation, stressing on the importance of attacking wingbacks who knew how to defend and eschewing the modern tradition of going with a single striker. He led the beleaguered giants of Italian football to three Scudetti in his three years at the helm.
These triumphs were marked by the almost ridiculous ease with which he and his team dominated the league. In charge of the national team now, he has started off in rather un-inspiring fashion, but given time and patience, he is sure to make his mark with the Azzurri
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Juventus) - 5 x Serie A, 1 x Coppa Italia, 1 x Champions League, 1 x UEFA Cup, 1 x UEFA Intertoto Cup, 1 xIntercontinental Cup- As a manager (Juventus) - 3 x Serie A, 1 x Coppa Italia
#8 Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc was a Rolls Royce of a defender - big, classy and eternally reliable – the great Frenchman was the bedrock of defences at Montpellier, Napoli, Nimes, Saint Etienne, Auxerre, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan and finally Manchester United in a colourful career that spanned twenty long years.
Amazingly, the Frenchman started his career off as an attacking midfielder where despite being rather slow, he used his exceptional technical ability and ended up scoring an amazing 76 league goals for Montpellier. It was at the same club though, where Michel Mezy recognized the potential of Blanc and transformed him into a central defender.
Using his exceptional frame (1.91 m, 80 odd kilos), he blended physicality with an innate technical ability to become a ball-playing defender who had in him the ability to start attacks from the back.
His greatest moments came with the national team, where along with Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly and Bixente Lizarazu, he formed one of the greatest international defences of all time – playing an integral role in Le Bleus’ maiden World Cup Triumph in ’98 and the victory at Euro ’00.
In his time at Marseille, Blanc earned the nickname Le Président for his exceptional leadership skills and it was evident for all to see, that there was some potentially great managerial qualities in him.
A few years after retirement, Blanc took over as manager at Bordeaux, and proved to be an instant success – leading the club to second place in his first season and then building on that to win them Ligue 1 the following season.
A couple of years later, he tried his hand at managing the ever-volatile French national team – inheriting the absolute shambles that Raymond Domenech had left him and soon moulded them into a respectable outfit – his move of suspending all 23 players who had brought such shame to the nation in the farce that was the 2010 world cup campaign winning him supporters outside the squad and establishing his dominance within it.
He took charge at Paris Saint Germain last year, where he has built on the good work of Carlo Ancellotti and has managed to get the team playing entertaining, title-winning football
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Montpellier, Auxerre, Barcelona, Manchester United, France) - 1 x Ligue 1, 2 x Coupe de France, 1 x UEFA Cup winners’ Cup, 1 x Copa Del Rey, 1 x English Premier League, 1 x World Cup, 1 x European Championship, 1 x U-21 European Championship
- As a manager (Bordeaux, PSG) 2 x Ligue1, 2 x Coupe de France
#9 Frank De Boer
Where many people remember Denis Bergkamp’s wonder goal against Argentina in that magical ’98 WC quartfinal clash, vey few remember who it was that delivered that raking, pin-point 60 yard crossfield pass. Fransiscus ‘Frank’ de Boer had that quality about him – to go about his business in the most unassuming fashion while ensuring his influence was heavily felt in every game he played in.
A technically-gifted player, the Dutch centre back was the foundation on which Ajax, Barcelona and the Holland national team built their defences. Solid, reliable and possessed of a dynamic leadership quality, De Boer retired from international footballer as Holland’s most capped outfield player – no mean achievement.
He spent most of his playing career with the legendary Ajax Amsterdam, his best years coming with Louis Van Gaal’s magical reign at the club (who he later followed to Barcelona) playing most of his career alongside his more attack minded brother, Ronald.
His calmness and skill on the ball, excellent aerial ability and the ability to see plays several moves ahead marked him out as one of the best centre backs of his generation.
In 2007, De Boer took the natural step into management, by taking up the coaching role at Ajax’s famed youth system and within three years he was appointed manager of the senior team.
He has had a truly remarkable career at the club that made his name as a player – winning a magical four consecutive Eredivisie titles (till date) and getting Ajax to play entertaining dynamic football without sacrificing defensively.
He now holds the record of most league titles at Ajax (as player and manager) with nine – moving one past the likes of Johann Cruyff, Sjaak Swart and Jack Reynolds.
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Ajax, Barcelona) - 05 x Eredivisie, 2 x KNVB cup, 1 x Champions League, 1 x UEFA Cup, 1 x Intercontinental Cup, 1 x La Liga- As a manager (Ajax) - 4 x Eredivisie
#10 Ronald Koeman
Not many centre backs have gone on to score 200 (+) goals whilst playing for top teams – teams milling with some of the most exciting attacking talent on the planet. But Ronald Koeman was never your regular centre back.
With the hammer of Thor for a right foot, Koeman was a long range, dead-ball specialist whose freekicks were nigh unstoppable – such was the ferociousness and incredible accuracy behind them.
It was the same wherever he played; be it Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, Barcelona or that wonderful Dutch team of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. He had an exceptional understanding of the game, using this ability (and his supreme physical strength) to compensate for the fact that he generally ran at a speed just slightly faster than a beached humpback whale.
He was an integral part of Johann Cruyff’s fabled dream team – and it appears he managed to pick up a thing or two from the master. As a manager, he has come to be known as tactically astute – capable of blending a steely defence and an exciting attack to form effective yet entertaining teams.
He has enjoyed success in Holland, with Ajax and PSV – while his stint at Feyenoord meant that he became the first person ever to serve as both player and manager at the “big three” of Dutch football. In between, he had a rather see-saw of a time at Valencia, winning the Copa Del Rey but disappointing in the league.
At the beginning of this season, he took over at Southampton – taking over a broken team that had been ripped apart by the sale of a majority of its first team players to bigger clubs in the land. Koeman looked at the numerous challenges in front of him dispassionately (like he once used to study opposition walls) and just blew them apart (like he used to do with said walls).
In his short stint at the time, he has gotten the southern club to play wonderful football – only Chelsea have scored more goals and absolutely no-one has conceded fewer goals (5 conceded in 11 games is an absolutely ridiculous number) – and *fingers crossed* stands at the threshold of writing himself into the ranks of the great managers of the beautiful game.
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Ajax, PSV, Barcelona, Netherlands) - 4 x Eredivisie, 3 x KNVB Cup, 2 x European Cup, 4x La Liga, 1 x Copa Del Rey, 1 x European Championship- As a manager (Ajax, Benfica, PSV, Valencia) – 3 x Eredivisie, 1 x KNVB Cup, 1 x Copa Del Rey
#11 Honourable mentions #1 (recently retired)
• Alex Ferguson
Although nowhere near as successful (or talented) a player as the others on the list, Fergie was a prolific striker in his time in the Scottish League – bagging 171 goals in 317 games.
What followed though, massively overshadowed his playing career – 3 Scottish League titles, 4 Scottish Cups, a Cup winners Cup and a UEFA Super Cup in a remarkable career at Aberdeen followed by a 26 year reign at Manchester United where his haul of 13 Premierships, 5 FA Cups, 2 Champions Leagues, one each of Intercontinental, Club World and Cup Winners’ Cup – established the Red Devils as one of the most dominant football teams in the world.
• Giovanni Trapattoni
2 Scudetti, a Copa Italia, 2 European Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup as a player - 7 Scudetti, 2 Coppa Italia, a European Cup, 3 UEFA Cups, a Cup Winners’ Cup, a Bundesliga, a German Cup, a Portuguese Primeira Liga and an Austrian Bundesliga. There are very few things the great Italian hasn’t won either as a player or as a coach – and his remarkable career is littered with triumphs from everywhere he has worked.
• Jupp Heyneckes
A prolific striker in his playing days, Heyneckes was at the forefront of the remarkably successful Borussia Mönchengladbach side of the late ‘70s. His managerial career throwing up just as much success – especially with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Four Bundesliga crowns, a UEFA Cup and a German Cup along with a World Cup (’74) and European Championship (’72) as a player, 2 Champions Leagues, 3 Bundesligas and a German Cup stand as testament to the great German’s success.
#12 Honourable mentions #2 (all time greats)
• Franz Beckenbauer
The German word for ‘successful’ is ‘erfolgreich’ – they should really just change that to Franz Beckenbauer. One of the greatest players to lace up a pair of footballing boots, Der Kaiser was equally adept at management.
His tally of 5 Bundesliga, 4 German Cups, 3 European Cups, a World Cup and a European Championship (almost all of these as captain of the team he played in) as a player was supplemented by a Bundesliga , a Ligue 1 title, a UEFA Cup and World Cup triumph as manager is pretty darn awe-inspiring
• Mario Zagallo
Two World Cups (’58 and ’62) and a Copa America as a player; A World Cup (’70) and a Copa America as a manager – few players/managers have enjoyed the kind of national success that the great Brazilian inside forward Mario Zagallo has.
• Johann Cruyff
The Dutch master – pioneer of the art of Total football, and crusader advocating attack as the first line of defense – has enjoyed tremendous success as a player (9 Eredivisie, 6 KNVB Cups, 3 European Cups and a La Liga & Copa Del Rey) and as a manager (2 KNVB Cups, one Cup Winners’ Cup, 4 La Liga titles, and one each of the Copa Del Rey, European Cup and Cup Winners Cup).
• Brian Clough
The outspoken Englishman was never perhaps as great as the other three names on this page but 251 goals from 274 appearances (as he so often liked to state) meant he was a wonderful striker .
His managerial skill is undoubted though –taking Derby from the Championship to the First Division championship and leading tiny little Nottingham Forest from the backwaters of the English game to two successive European Cup titles are the stuff fairytales are made of.
