5 legendary footballers who failed as managers

Not all legendary footballers will succeed as managers

The number of legendary footballers becoming managers has increased significantly in recent years. There have been many successful player turned managers like Johan Cruyff, Kenny Dalgish, Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane. Hence, it becomes easy to see why so many clubs are turning to former superstars to lead them from the dugout.

Having thrived at the highest level of the game, these individuals know exactly what it takes to triumph. They use that experience to their advantage, getting their teams firing on all cylinders with their igniting presence and leading them to claim several honors.

However, having a great football career doesn't guarantee that it will transcend into management. That is why some iconic footballing figures failed to replicate the level of success they enjoyed as players when they became tacticians.

Whether at club or international level, you will certainly find a number of such cases. Without further ado, let's quickly take a look at five legendary footballers who failed as managers.

#5 Thierry Henry

Henry is a good example of a legendary footballer failing to become a great manager

Thierry Henry enjoyed a successful playing career with Arsenal. The Frenchman was a vital member of the Gunners' historic team that took the Premier League by storm by winning the title with an unbeaten record in 2003-04.

Shortly after calling time on his playing career, Henry was appointed Arsenal's youth coach. He spent a year-and-a-half with the Gunners before leaving to act as assistant coach to Roberto Martinez for Belgium at the 2018 World Cup.

The Frenchman was appointed head coach for the first time as he took charge of Monaco in 2018. However, he was sacked just three months later after failing to deliver decent results. He managed just two victories in 12 league games and many controversies.

Monaco have sacked manager Thierry Henry after 20 games in charge.

Full story: bbc.in/2sKVKJK https://t.co/EekqztOLLp

MLS outfit Montreal Impact offered Henry the chance to rebuild. But he couldn't take advantage of it, facing the sack again after delivering just four wins in 20 games.

#4 Paul Scholes

The Englishman has had a disappointing managerial career

Paul Scholes is definitely one of the few legendary players to have represented Manchester United over the years. After winning 25 trophies with the Red Devils in his playing days, many expected the midfielder to enjoy similar success as a coach.

Paul Scholes has resigned as manager of Oldham.

He was appointed Oldham Athletic manager on February 11, 2019 but failed woefully, picking up just one victory in seven games. He resigned after just 31 days, citing interference from the club's owner in the team's affair. Although he's had spells as assistant/caretaker manager at Manchester United and Salford, none of the two stints proved to be successful.