Top 10 current managers who had successful playing careers
Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti – two of the most successful top players turned managersThey say great players make the worst football managers; too much of their games are based on instinct and natural talent for them to be able to translate their wonderful firsthand knowledge of the game - a perspective that no one watching from afar could hope to share – onto the blackboards and into other people’s heads.The beautiful game’s history is littered with examples of such players turned managers; Ruud Gullit, Hristo “I don’t need tactics” Stoichkov, Paul Gascoigne, even the greatest of them all - Diego Maradona - have failed spectacularly at managing football teams.At the same time, there are always exceptions to the rule – quite a lot of them in this case actually – and here we take a look at 10 top coaches who have embarked on successful management stints after hanging up their boots on similarly (if not more) spectacular playing careers.Author’s note – The list is in no specific order. Feel free to add your own favourites in the comments section.
#1 Roberto Mancini
With all the hoopla and controversy surrounding Roberto Mancini’s brilliantly colorful time at Manchester City, it is often forgotten by the modern football fan just how good a manager the stylish Italian really is.
He has seen plenty of highs and lows in a managerial career that started off at financially handicapped Fiorentina (whom he led to a Coppa Italia - kicking off what is a truly remarkable run in which he has led each of his clubs to at least the semifinal of a major national cup competition in ever season he has been in charge – till date) and equally struggling Lazio (whom he led to a semifinal in the UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia title).
His successes despite being shackled financially earned him a move to Inter Milan – where he led the great club through a magnificent period that included three consecutive Scudettos and two Coppa Italia crowns.
His next gig was the now infamous gig at City where although he was bankrolled by Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s millions, it has to be acknowledged that leading an often ill-disciplined and unorganized City from lower mid-table anonymity - through becoming the “noisy neighbours” – to genuine title favourites was an admirable feat.
As a manager his teams are generally tightly drilled and defensive minded to the point of being “park-a-bus” (his ’07-’08 Inter side conceded just 26 and the notoriously leaky City defence conceded just 33 in his first full season in charge there).
You would never guess it from the way he talks about the importance of defense these days, but Mancini was a twinkle toed devil of a trequartista – a playmaking genius whose vision, creativity and uncanny knack of producing spectacular finishes are not truly appreciated by many these days. His greatest time as a player came at little Sampdoria – where his partnership with Gianluca Vialli would become the stuff of legend.
Now, back in Italy with a coaching role at Inter – it remains to be seen if he can drag the Nerazzurri out of the quagmire they are stuck in.
MAJOR TITLES
- As a player (Sampdoria, Lazio) - 2 x Serie A, 6 x Coppa Italia, 2 x UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup,1 x UEFA Super Cup
- As a manager - (Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Galatasaray) 3 x Serie A, 4 x Coppa Italia, 1 x FA Cup, 1 x English Premier League, 1 x Turkish Cup
