5 managers who controversially managed rival clubs
Managers are the bearers of a club's honour. They are fired when a club under-performs and hailed when the club excels. A club's honour includes never playing nice with rivals, something the following men seemed to have forgotten when they assented to a job offer.
It is true that a couple of these jobs came to these managers in bleak circumstances. However, it does not make it any less controversial.
Here are five managers who made the switch from one half of a city and rivalry to the other:
#5. George Graham (Arsenal and Tottenham)
George Graham is an Arsenal legend. He won two league titles and two League Cups, one FA Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup. Despite a controversial sacking because of his alleged involvement in shady transfer deals, Graham remained popular with the Arsenal faithful.
He initially moved to Leeds United after his sacking from Arsenal. He guided Leeds to fifth in his second season at the club before being appointed Tottenham Hotspurs boss in 1998-99. He guided the Lilywhites to a League Cup win that season, securing UEFA Cup qualification for the following season.
He was sacked by the new owners ENIC after a major and ugly wrangling over transfers. He never finished higher than tenth with Tottenham in his two and a half years at the club. He remained controversial with most fans because of his Arsenal past in spite of leading the club to it's first trophy in nine years.