Top 5 managers who were better as footballers

#4 Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann was a hugely popular figure at Tottenham during his time in English football

Another excellent player who tried to replicate international success in management, Klinsmann has now undertaken three high-profile jobs, all with limited results. He was one of the most prolific strikers of his generation, scoring freely in Italy, France, England, and especially Germany.

It was on the international stage where Klinsmann really shone - similar to his compatriot Miroslav Klose - and he was an important part of the sides that won the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championships.

He would retire with a fine 47 goals for West Germany/Germany, putting him joint-fourth in the all-time list; he also ranks sixth in the World Cup all-time scoring charts, with an excellent 11 goals.

He was made head coach of Germany in 2004 after the country's disastrous performances at Euro 2004, and he sought immediately to rectify this by introducing youthful energy and new ideas into the squad. Leading up to the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann drew strong criticism for his offensive style and outspoken manner but the team's subsequent performances silenced the doubters.

Germany comprehensively won their group, saw off Sweden and Argentina in the knockout rounds, before succumbing to Italy in dramatic fashion, losing two goals in the final minutes of extra-time.

Former critics became fans and, despite insistence for him to continue, Klinsmann departed, and his former assistant Joachim Low was appointed (and who has led Germany to new, spectacular heights).

Club football with Bayern Munich followed in 2008 but he was sacked in April 2009, after a stuttering campaign. They had reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, were third in the Bundesliga with five games left to play, but for a club of Bayern's stature, Klinsmann's performance just wasn't good enough.

Club Captain Philipp Lahm would later say in his autobiography that Klinsmann was a failure in charge, and lacked tactical knowledge and strategy, a damning indictment.

In a return to international football, Klinsmann's most recent job was with the U.S.A, from 2011 to 2016. Initial historic wins over Italy and Mexico showed promise, and the last-16 was reached in the 2014 World Cup, but his firing came after the USMNT's worst showing in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup since 2000 after finishing fourth, and Klinsmann left them rooted to the bottom of their World Cup qualification table.

The German doesn't seem like a wholly terrible coach and has shown promise in each of his roles, but he'll never be as consistently excellent as he was during his playing days.