Famous football managers who never played but went straight into coaching
In the dynamic world of football, it's not just skilled players who are behind a team's success. Football managers also play a key role. Their tactics, team leadership, strategies, and personal approach to players influence the performance of the entire team.
Let's introduce a few prominent figures of retired football managers who chose coaching over playing at the beginning of their careers.
Arsène Wenger: A successful manager from France
Arsène Wenger is a former French footballer. He was born on October 22, 1949, in the Alsatian city of Strasbourg. He grew up with his parents and siblings in the village of Duttlenheim.
He got into football thanks to his father, who coached the local team. Together, they used to travel to football matches in Germany, where they attended Borussia Mönchengladbach games.
Arsène Wenger was raised as a Catholic and often needed permission from the local priest to play football.
Due to the low population in Duttlenheim, assembling a team of eleven players of the same age group was quite challenging. For this reason, Wenger did not play for any football team until he was twelve years old.
His playing career was not very successful, as he spent a large part of it in amateur clubs.
In 1978, he transferred to the first division team RC Strasbourg, where he spent three seasons and played only thirteen matches.
In 1981, he traded playing for a managerial license, and his successes finally began to develop.
Successful managerial career
He started as a manager at AS Cannes in the position of assistant manager. In 1984, he moved to AS Nancy, where he became the head manager. However, he didn't taste his first successes until he joined AS Monaco, with whom he won Division 1 and the French Cup.
He moved for a while to the Japanese team Nagoya Grampus Eight. He then returned to Europe, where he became the manager of the English club Arsenal. In the 2003/2004 season, he managed to lead the team through the season without a single defeat, setting a record of 49 matches without losing.
A manager with strong intuition
An interesting fact about Arsène Wenger is that he has his players undergo psychometric tests every two years to determine if they are mentally ready to play in his team. He also encourages their independence in problem-solving. He's also able to provide support to his players, as was the case with Arsenal captain Tony Adams, who began struggling with alcoholism.
During his time at Monaco, Wenger earned a reputation as a talent scout. For example, he brought in Liberian striker George Weah from the Cameroonian team, who won the Footballer of the Year award in 1995. When he received the award from the FIFA president, he invited his former manager from Monaco onto the stage and dedicated his medal to him as a thank you.
Wenger managed to nurture more than one young player whose career was in question.
In 2007, a survey showed Wenger as the only manager in the Premier League who managed to generate a profit after the transfer window. From 2004 to 2009, he managed to earn an average of £4.4 million annually from transfers. A remarkable example of his cleverness in the transfer market was the purchase of Nicolas Anelka. In 1997, he paid only £500,000 for him and two years later sold him to Real Madrid for £23.5 million.
André Villas-Boas: coach and racer
Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas was born in Porto on October 17, 1977.
At the age of sixteen, he wrote a letter to the coach of his favorite club FC Porto, Bobby Robson, asking for an explanation as to why he wasn't giving more playing time to striker Domingos. The coach was so impressed that he later hired him as his advisor.
Under Robson's guidance, he obtained a UEFA C coaching license in Scotland at the age of seventeen and was able to study the training methods of Ipswich Town. A year later, at the age of eighteen, he obtained his B license and subsequently received his A license at nineteen.
Before Villas-Boas began his career as an assistant coach in Porto under José Mourinho, he briefly served as the technical director of the British Virgin Islands national team. He followed Mourinho to Chelsea and Internazionale.
Football coaching career
As a coach, Villas-Boas had a diverse career, leading several well-known clubs.
At Porto (2010-2011), he won the Portuguese league (Primeira Liga) and the Europa League. With Porto, he achieved outstanding performance and became one of the youngest coaches to ever win a European competition.
From 2011 to 2012, he briefly managed Chelsea, where he became the youngest manager in Premier League history.
He moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia (2014-2016) and won the Russian Premier League.
He then spent some time at Shanghai SIPG, where he became the coach of the Chinese club.
From 2019 to 2021, he served as the coach of the French club Olympique Marseille.
From Coach to Rally Driver
In November 2017, it was announced that Villas-Boas would participate in the 2018 Dakar Rally with a Toyota Hilux. His co-driver was former top motorcycle racer, Ruben Faria. However, he didn't finish the rally and withdrew after hitting a sand dune in the fourth speed test in Peru, injuring his back and on March 17, 2018, he took part in another off-road rally with a Can-Am Maverick X3.
After leaving Marseille in 2021, Villas-Boas made his first appearance in the World Rally Championship between May 20 and 23, where he competed in the WRC3 category at the 2021 Rally de Portugal. His co-driver in the Citroën C3 Rally2 was Gonçalo Magalhães, with whom he finished in 12th place.
Maurizio Sarri: From Banker to Football Manager
Maurizio Sarri was born on January 10, 1959, in Naples, Italy. He only participated in football at an amateur level for the team Figline while working as a banker. He worked in the morning and trained and played football in the afternoon and evening.
In 1990, at the age of 30, he got a job with the local team Tegoleto, decided to leave his job, and dedicate himself entirely to his coaching career.
In 2005, he landed a job in Serie B with Pescara. From 2012 to 2015, he managed the Italian team Empoli, with which he was promoted to Serie A in 2014. In their debut season among the elite teams, he led Empoli to 15th place, thus saving the team from relegation.
He was subsequently hired by Napoli, where he received several individual awards.
In 2018, the fifty-nine-year-old Sarri moved to the English club Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Europa League in his only season.
In 2019, he returned to Italy with Juventus and became the oldest manager to ever win the Italian league.
He is currently on the coaching bench of Lazio Rome.
Sarri and his working style
Sarri is known for his intelligence, attention to detail, and meticulous approach to match preparation. One of the main features of his organized system is a four-man defensive line, an offside trap, and a zonal marking system. He requires his defenders to synchronize their movements, anticipate actions, and focus on the ball as a point of reference, rather than on opponents.
Sarri's players often attack from the flanks, aiming to play quick exchanges.
When defending without the ball, Sarri's teams often use energetic pressing, tight lines, and high pressure on the pitch to quickly regain possession.
In addition to his tactical skill, Sarri is known for his openness. He also stands out for his clothing. Unlike many other managers in Italian football, he usually wears a tracksuit during matches.
Sarri's accusations of insults
In the 2015/2016 season, Sarri found himself in a dispute with Roberto Mancini, then the coach of Inter Milan. Mancini accused Sarri of directing homophobic insults at him. Sarri replied that he is not homophobic and that everything that happens on the pitch stays on the pitch. He was subsequently fined 20,000 euros and banned for two Coppa Italia matches by the Lega Serie A organization for directing extremely offensive epithets at the opposing team's coach.
In March 2018, Sarri was criticized by the media for allegedly making sexist comments in response to questions from journalist Titti Improta from Canale. The coach later apologized and admitted that he was joking. He defended himself as an open person who is neither homophobic, sexist, nor racist.
Rafael Benítez: A Demanding Coach from Spain
Rafael Benítez Maudes was born on April 16, 1960, in Madrid, Spain. In 1979, he was selected to participate in the Spanish U19 team at the World University Games in Mexico City. In the opening match, he scored a penalty, but in the next game, he was injured by a tough tackle from an opponent.
In 1981, he joined the team Parla in Tercera División, helping them get promoted to Segunda División B.
In 1985, he signed a contract with the club Linares in Segunda División B, where he began working as a player/coach under coach Enrique Mateos. Due to further injuries, he ended his playing career.
Football Manager Career
He joined the Real Madrid coaching team at the age of 26. He gradually worked as a youth coach, reserve team coach, and assistant coach of the senior team.
In the 1997/1998 season, he brought the team Extremadura back from Segunda División to La Liga, but in the following season, the team was relegated again.
In 2000, Benítez moved to Tenerife, where he won promotion in his only season.
In the 2001/2002 season, he won La Liga as the coach of Valencia.
In 2004, he repeated his La Liga victory and won the UEFA Cup.
After leaving Valencia, Benítez moved to English club Liverpool in the Premier League. In 2005, he led the team to victory in the Champions League. A year later, he won the FA Cup and reached the Champions League final in 2007.
After leaving Liverpool in June 2010, he briefly managed Inter Milan, where he managed to win a treble.
In November 2012, he became the interim manager of Chelsea for the rest of the season and subsequently won the Europa League in 2013. He then returned to Italy, where he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana with Napoli.
After leaving Napoli, he signed a three-year contract as the coach of Real Madrid, but he was dismissed in January 2016.
From March 2016, he became the manager of Newcastle United in an attempt to save the club from relegation. He was unsuccessful in that attempt, but the following year he won the Championship and got promoted back to the Premier League.
In July 2019, he was appointed manager of the Chinese club Dalian Professional, where in addition to his managerial role, he oversaw infrastructure development. In January 2021, he agreed to terminate his contract a year early after one and a half years in the role.
He is currently the coach of Celta Vigo.
Benítez and his working style
Benítez earned a reputation as a demanding coach in English football, and many players wished to hear words of praise from him. He was uncompromising but highly valued for his tactical expertise. Especially in European matches, when he set up his team to exploit the weaknesses of their opponents.
His calm demeanor and tactical changes at halftime during the 2005 Champions League final reportedly gave players the belief that they could turn the game around from 0-3.
The manager often places key players in unusual positions that suit the formation. He firmly believes in player rotation and zonal defense.
The zonal marking tactic has been criticized by expert commentators when Liverpool conceded from set pieces, even though Benítez's teams are usually known for their defensive nature and low number of goals conceded.
Graham Taylor: Manager and Commentator
Graham Taylor was born on September 15, 1944, in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and passed away on January 12, 2017. As the son of a sports journalist, Taylor found his love for football in the stands of Old Show Ground stadium. He briefly became a professional player as a defender for Grimsby Town and Lincoln City. In 1972, he suffered an injury and never returned to a professional playing career. Instead, he began working as a manager and coach.
Manager and Coach Career
In the 1976 season, he won the Fourth Division title with Lincoln and then moved to Watford, which he took from the Fourth Division to the First Division in five years. Under his leadership, Watford became runners-up in the First Division in the 1982/1983 season and FA Cup finalists in 1984.
In July 1990, he became the manager of the England national team. In 1992, the team qualified for the European Championship but was eliminated in the group stage.
In November 1993, Taylor resigned after the club failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States.
Taylor subsequently faced heavy criticism from fans and the media.
In 1994, he returned to management with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After a season at Molineux, he returned to Watford and brought the club to the Premier League in 1999.
His last managerial role was with Aston Villa, where he returned in 2002.
Later Career of Taylor
In 2003, Taylor became the vice-president of Scunthorpe United in the third division, where a turnaround occurred during his tenure. In his first season in charge, the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Conference. In the following season, they were promoted to League One, and two seasons later, they were promoted to the Championship as League One champions.
Since 2004, Taylor tried his hand at being a commentator for BBC Radio Five Live and led a celebrity team for the station's annual show, The Match, on Sky One.
In January 2009, Taylor returned to Watford, where he was appointed non-executive director and also became the club's interim chairman. In 2012, he announced his resignation as chairman and held the position of honorary president of the club until his death in 2017.
