5 Footballers who have played under a former teammate
Most of the footballers go into a management job after hanging up their boots. Some go for media jobs also, but the sheer excitement of handling a team can be too difficult for a footballer to resist. Also, it is relatively easy for a very successful footballer to become a manager of a top club after retiring.
Cesc Fabregas’ move to Monaco from Chelsea means that he is going to play under his former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry. Henry has been appointed the manager of Monaco in 2018 and played with Fabregas for Arsenal from 2003 to 2007. We would now look at five such footballers who have played under one of their former teammates.
#1 Paolo Maldini & Alessandro Costacurta (under Carlo Ancelotti)
Both Maldini and Costacurta are legendary former players of AC Milan and their association with the club lasted for more than two decades. Maldini played for Milan from 1985 to 2009 and Costacurta from 1986 to 2007. They were part of the legendary Milan team coached by Arrigo Sachi in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Carlo Ancelotti was also part of the legendary Milan side under Sachi and played for them as a defensive midfielder from 1987 to 1992. Milan won the European Cup two successive European Cups in 1988-89 and 1989-90. Ancelotti, Maldini and Costacurta were all members of that all-conquering Milan side.
Ancelotti began to pursue a managerial career after retiring and became the coach of Milan in 2001. Both Maldini and Costacurta were still playing for Milan and become very important players for Milan now. Ancelotti must have been very happy to get the opportunity to coach two of his former teammates and remained the Milan coach till 2009.
Ancelotti was arguably more successful for Milan as a manager than he was a player. He won 2 UEFA Champions League and 1 Serie A title as the coach of Milan. Both Maldini and Costacurta contributed significantly to Milan’s success under Ancelotti. Maldini scored 33 goals from 902 matches and Costacurta 3 from 663. Both of them remain among the finest to have played for Milan.