Famous footballing icons who have moved into coaching

There are two types of football coaches: ex-playerswho have learned the game on the field, and individuals who learned it in coaching courses.It has beenan article of faith for years that only someone who hasplayed professional soccer himself will knowhow to manage a team. Players who had been leaders on the field areparticularly favored. However, while someone like Paolo di Canio lasted only 13 matches in charge of Sunderland, Pep Guardiolas managerial career has already far eclipsed his playing days, which were pretty good as well.This is a look at some former players who have made the jump into coaching recently. Only time can tell whether they go the Di Canio way or the Guardiola way.

#1 Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid Castilla)

Zidane will oversee the development of what has been dubbed a golden generation of youth talent at the Real Madrid B team. Zidane was set to join Bordeaux as first-team coach, but the move broke down when the budget restrictions at the French club came to light. Real authorities wanted to retain his services, and acknowledging his full-time coaching ambitions, offered him this job.

Jose Mourinho had insisted in 2010 that Zidane work more closely with the senior team, and he was appointed as assistant to Carlo Ancelotti last season. Therefore, he already has hands-on experience of handling a top class team, with all the baggage that comes with a dressing room consisting of several superstars. The 42 year old played for Real Madrid from 2001 to 2006, and has been involved with the club in administrative capacities from November 2010. Commanding respect should come easily to Zidane.

His most important signing in this transfer window has been 23 year old forward Eero Markkanen, a Finnish international. He shall also have his own son Enzo Fernandez in his team. Last year, on being asked about his coaching ambitions, Zidane had said, "I'm just going along my way, I'm learning. I'm in contact with people who are important in football. It's a good experience.”

#2 Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan)

AC Milan are an ailing Italian powerhouse, as they will miss European football this season for the first time in 16 years. The man who has been appointed to revitalize the Rossoneri, the very name which used to strike fear in defenders not very long ago, is the club’s most successful striker in Europe – Filippo Inzaghi – whose predatory instincts in front of goal led Sir Alex to say of him that he “must have been born offside”.

Since retiring as an AC Milan player in 2012, Inzaghi has worked with the club's Under-19 side and achieved success by winning the Torneo di Viareggio trophy for the first time in 10 years. He has already had a baptism of fire with the senior squad though, going down 0-3 to Olympiakos ,1-5 to Manchester City and 0-2 to Liverpool in pre-season friendlies.

Inzaghi has asked for patience, but the number of hurdles he faces are daunting. He needs to decide on a stable central defensive pair, needs to manage the volatile Mario Balotelli, and not antagonize club owner Silvio Berlusconi who is known to have ample opinions on footballing matters.

The Italian has already brought several new players to the Giuseppe Meazza – Michael Agazzi, Adil Rami, Alex, Jeremy Menez, Pablo Armero, and most notably Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez.

Pippo has a tall task ahead, and the only remedies he has to suggest to his wards are hard work and more off-the-ball aggression. “We're starting to see traces of the Milan I want, especially in terms of determination”, said Inzaghi after their most recent defeat. Only Real Madrid have more Champions league titles than AC Milan and the competition loses a vital element without the Rossoneri. Inzaghi is not alone in having a vision of the Milan he wants.

#3 Claude Makelele (SC Bastia)

Claude Makelele is one of the best defensive midfielders in modern day football, and is thus no stranger to playing a controlling role in football teams. SC Bastia have a midtable-on-a-budget approach, they finished at 10th place last season after being promoted from Ligue 2 the year before. Stability is what Bastia hope to achieve and they have unsurprisingly turned to a man famous for rock-like stability.

Makelele has worked as assistant coach at PSG from 2011, first under Carlo Ancelotti and then under former team-mate Laurent Blanc. PSG has had a successful time during his time there, it is to be seen now whether Makelele can succesfully move to the next level in his coaching career. Moving to the next level will be top of his agenda in other ways too. The last Bastia coach, Frederic Hantz, resigned because he said he had "failed to take the club to the next level."

Bastia’s creative star from last season Wahbi Kharzi and main striker Gianni Bruno have departed and Makelele has brought in famed striker Brandao and midfielder Floyd Ayite as replacements.

Bastia got off to a great start under his managership, coming back from 2 goals down to tie a friendly match with Marseille at 3-3. “It’s our first success, in a way, to come back from 3-1 down,” said Makelele.

#4 Willy Sagnol (Girondins de Bordeaux)

It seems to be a trend among former French footballers in their late thirties and early forties to decide to manage a team. As the successes of Didier Deshchamps and Laurent Blanc have shown, the French ‘think, therefore they play’. Girondins de Bordeaux originally wanted Zidane to coach their senior team, but have settled for this former right-back, who has been head coach of the France U-21 team since 2013.

Sagnol’s first moves as manager has been to make defender Lamine Sane club captain and to bring in Diego Contento, a 24 year old from Bayern Munich who plays as left back. He has expressed a desire to draft two more defensive players and has said his team shall aim for second spot in the league.

The mood at Bordeaux is optimistic and the buzz of a new-look team is doing the rounds in the French press. The team got off to a good start with a 1-0 victory over Montpellier. In the post-match interview, Sagnol said, “more than the result, what really matters is the way we played in the first half...(but) It's always frustrating not being able to have more of an influence on what's happening on the pitch.”

#5 Ryan Giggs

Giggs called time on his remarkable 23 year old career at the close of last season to commit himself to a new role of being assistant to the new Manchester United coach, Louis van Gaal. From 1991, he had won 13 league titles, 4 FA Cups and 2 Champions League titles for his club, and will now look to continue to earn winners’ medals in a different capacity. Giggs commented on his new journey saying that it is “a new and exciting chapter in my life”.

The Welshman was appointed as player-coach last season after continuing to exhibit age-defying performances, and it is a well known secret that everybody associated with Manchester United desired to see Giggs become the next long-term manager after Sir Alex. He received his Uefa Pro coaching license in May this year, and will get some hands-on experience before being given the responsibility of being senior coach.

He has already been interim manager at his club, after David Moyes was abruptly sacked towards the close of last season. He has a record of two wins, one draw and one defeat, but admitted that the pressures of being a manager did not let him sleep at night during this period.

#6 Clarence Seedorf

AC Milan were floundering in the Serie A last season when club President Silvio Berlusconi requested Seedorf to draw his playing days to a close to guide the Rossoneri from the dire straits they found themselves in. Despite improving AC Milan’s position in Serie A from 11th in January to 8th at the close of the season, his tactics were massively criticized by the press and fans.

He was dismissed after only four months on the job, as the club continued their search among former legends for someone who would be successful in resurrecting the club to their former glory.

It is very unlikely that Seedorf will resume his playing days, and a return to the coaching job someday in the future is not an imposibility – perhaps in charge of a less high-profile team.

#7 Ruud van Nistelrooy

The Dutch national team has made it a habit in the past few years of hiring assistant coaches for the national team from among players who have retired from the game not too long ago – Frank de Boer, Philip Cocu and most recently Patrick Kluivert. Van Nistelrooy will join as assistant to Guus Hiddink in the Dutch camp alongside another former player in Danny Blind, to form what will be a brand new coaching staff.

The former striker is sure to have gained some experience after having joined as a coaching intern at PSV Eindhoven at the beginning of last season and worked with the U-17 team. He shall be seen on the touchlines when Netherlands take on Italy in Spetember this year, when the qualifying campaign for 2016 Euro Cup begins.