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With most players choosing to switch to a managerial career following their retirement, the dugouts are stacked with former footballers at the moment. While many coaches have floundered in their newfound roles, there are certain tacticians who have become finer managers than they were players.
Top players who became world-class managers
Undoubtedly the best example of this phenomenon, midfielder-turned-manager Pep Guardiola has been bossing the coaching arena ever since he turned pro in 2008. In the following 13 years, the Catalan mastermind has established a reputation of being the best in the business through his unconventional methods of teaching. In his managerial career, Guardiola has won a colossal 31 trophies, with his most successful tenure coming with boyhood club Barcelona.
Another fine exemplary of the said occurrence is Real Madrid stalwart Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman surprised everyone by winning a bucket load of titles in his first stint as manager. He famously guided Los Blancos to three Champions League titles in as many years, cementing his legacy as a bona fide legend at the Bernabeu.
What Guardiola and Zidane have in common is that they started their managerial journeys at a club they had already played for in the past. While the two coaches have had highly successful spells, several managers have flattered to deceive at their former clubs.
On that note, let's take a look at five managers who failed to hit the ground running at their former club:
#5 Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
While it would be too early to call Frank Lampard a failure, his final season with Chelsea will definitely fall under the said category. The legendary midfielder was appointed manager of Chelsea in 2019, following the sacking of Maurizio Sarri. Coming off a decent season with Derby County in the Championship, Lampard wholeheartedly accepted the job.
Arriving at his boyhood club in the capacity of a manager, Lampard enjoyed a satisfactory first season with the Blues. With Chelsea serving a transfer embargo, the Englishman was instrumental in promoting and settling younger prospects into the first team. However, things soon went sour, as soon as he entered his second season at Stamford Bridge.
Despite spending a great deal of cash on players like Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, Chelsea found themselves in ninth place after 20 Premier League matches. Due to consistent shoddy on-field showings and dismal results, the Chelsea legend was fired mid-season. Fans realized the actual failure of Lampard's tenure when Thomas Tuchel went on to win the Champions League with the same squad.
Also Check Out: Frank Lampard Net Worth
#4 Clarence Seedorf (Milan)
The proud record holder of being the only footballer to have won the Champions League with three different clubs, Clarence Seedorf was an absolute tank in midfield. Nevertheless, the Dutch legend hasn't been able to carry a similar legacy into his coaching career, with back-to-back managerial failures.
AC Milan had already begun their descent from the summit of football, with the club languishing in 11th place in January 2014. The Milan hierarchy thought it would be best to replace Massimiliano Allegri with club legend Seedorf at the helm.
The former midfield maestro had no managerial experience at the time of his appointment. As a result, his tenure at the San Siro was destined for failure. Seedorf returned to Milan as their head coach, having hung up his playing boots just two days ago, and never really got to grips with the job.
As expected, the former Dutch international failed miserably as Milan boss, mustering 35 points out of a possible 57. He was relieved of his managerial duties, just five months later.
Also read: 5 worst managerial downgrades of the past decade
#3 Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)
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)
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)
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.
Also read: Top 10 managerial upgrades of the past decade
