5 superstars who failed as managers at former clubs
With most players choosing to switch to a managerial career following their retirement, the dugouts are stacked with former footballers at the moment. While many coaches have floundered in their newfound roles, there are certain tacticians who have become finer managers than they were players.
Top players who became world-class managers
Undoubtedly the best example of this phenomenon, midfielder-turned-manager Pep Guardiola has been bossing the coaching arena ever since he turned pro in 2008. In the following 13 years, the Catalan mastermind has established a reputation of being the best in the business through his unconventional methods of teaching. In his managerial career, Guardiola has won a colossal 31 trophies, with his most successful tenure coming with boyhood club Barcelona.
๐ Trophies won as a manager since 08/09:
๐ช๐ธ Guardiola - 31
๐ต๐น Mourinho - 13
๐ฎ๐น Allegri - 13
๐ซ๐ท Zidane - 11
๐ช๐ธ Lucho - 9
๐ฎ๐น Ancelotti - 8
๐ฉ๐ช Klopp - 6
๐ฆ๐ท Simeone - 6
๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐ฎ, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ... ๐๐ #MCFC https://t.co/mZvAvGujaj
Another fine exemplary of the said occurrence is Real Madrid stalwart Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman surprised everyone by winning a bucket load of titles in his first stint as manager. He famously guided Los Blancos to three Champions League titles in as many years, cementing his legacy as a bona fide legend at the Bernabeu.
What Guardiola and Zidane have in common is that they started their managerial journeys at a club they had already played for in the past. While the two coaches have had highly successful spells, several managers have flattered to deceive at their former clubs.
On that note, let's take a look at five managers who failed to hit the ground running at their former club:
#5 Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
While it would be too early to call Frank Lampard a failure, his final season with Chelsea will definitely fall under the said category. The legendary midfielder was appointed manager of Chelsea in 2019, following the sacking of Maurizio Sarri. Coming off a decent season with Derby County in the Championship, Lampard wholeheartedly accepted the job.
Arriving at his boyhood club in the capacity of a manager, Lampard enjoyed a satisfactory first season with the Blues. With Chelsea serving a transfer embargo, the Englishman was instrumental in promoting and settling younger prospects into the first team. However, things soon went sour, as soon as he entered his second season at Stamford Bridge.
Under Lampard #Chelsea was pretty good defensively (~ Man United level), after Tuchel arrived they become an elite defensive team (~ Man City level) without losing numbers in attack https://t.co/YW0B3wuKMC
Despite spending a great deal of cash on players like Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, Chelsea found themselves in ninth place after 20 Premier League matches. Due to consistent shoddy on-field showings and dismal results, the Chelsea legend was fired mid-season. Fans realized the actual failure of Lampard's tenure when Thomas Tuchel went on to win the Champions League with the same squad.
Also Check Out: Frank Lampard Net Worth
#4 Clarence Seedorf (Milan)
The proud record holder of being the only footballer to have won the Champions League with three different clubs, Clarence Seedorf was an absolute tank in midfield. Nevertheless, the Dutch legend hasn't been able to carry a similar legacy into his coaching career, with back-to-back managerial failures.
AC Milan had already begun their descent from the summit of football, with the club languishing in 11th place in January 2014. The Milan hierarchy thought it would be best to replace Massimiliano Allegri with club legend Seedorf at the helm.
The former midfield maestro had no managerial experience at the time of his appointment. As a result, his tenure at the San Siro was destined for failure. Seedorf returned to Milan as their head coach, having hung up his playing boots just two days ago, and never really got to grips with the job.
As expected, the former Dutch international failed miserably as Milan boss, mustering 35 points out of a possible 57. He was relieved of his managerial duties, just five months later.
Also read: 5 worst managerial downgrades of the past decade