5 superstars who failed as managers at former clubs

#3 Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)

Alan Shearer is an English legend

Arguably one of the most iconic players in Premier League history, Alan Shearer was nowhere near replicating the same success as manager. A certified Newcastle United legend, Shearer holds the record for the most goals scored (260) in the English top-flight, 15 years after his retirement.

Following a managerial crisis at St. James' Park during the 2008-09 season, Shearer was appointed first-team boss in April 2009, to everyone's surprise. The Magpies were hovering over the relegation zone at the time and turned to former superstar Shearer in a bid to salvage their season.

With just eight games left, the Englishman was expected to steady the ship and save his former team from the drop. However, Shearer failed to get a hold of his team in this short period, guiding Newcastle to a solitary win in the remaining games. As a result, Newcastle were relegated by one point, and Shearer's managerial journey was cut short even before it could have had a proper start.

---

#2 Thierry Henry (Monaco)

Henry struggled at Monaco

Widely known for his spell as a player at Arsenal, Thierry Henry was especially unplayable for the north London club. However, prior to his record-breaking move to the Premier League, Henry was making a name for himself in the French top-flight with Monaco. Having graduated from their academy, the prolific forward spent four years with the French giants, making 139 appearances.

Following his retirement from the beautiful game in 2015, Henry turned his attention to management, accepting an assistant's role in the Belgian national team. His first stint as a full-fledged manager came in 2018, with none other than childhood club Monaco. However, what was supposed to be a building block in a promising managerial career, soon turned into a curse for Henry.

After being given the reins to a Monaco side in transition, Henry failed catastrophically to stabilize the squad. In his first 20 games as manager, Henry could only emerge victorious on two occasions. Subsequently, he was sacked by the Monaco hierarchy. Henry departed from the role in 2019, with his boyhood club languishing in 19th place.

---

#1 Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)

Pirlo was fired after a solitary season in charge

Andrea Pirlo was regarded as one of the most intelligent players of his time due to his excellent reading of the game. Throw in his extraordinary vision and ability to sense the flow of the game, and you get yourself one of the most complete midfielders of the modern era.

Nevertheless, his managerial journey couldn't have gotten off to a worse beginning. After being put in charge of Juventus' U23 side in 2020, Pirlo was granted instant promotion nine days later. Despite his non-existent experience as a manager, the Italian legend was handed the Juventus job after Maurizio Sarri's untimely sacking.

What followed was an unmitigated disaster, with Pirlo leading the Bianconeri to their worst Serie A finish in 10 years. Even with Cristiano Ronaldo on his team, the club struggled in the Champions League, bowing out to FC Porto in the round-of-16 stage. With only the Supercoppa Italiana title to show for his first season as manager, Pirlo was quickly relieved of his duties as soon as the season ended. An expected fairytale that ended in a nightmare.

---