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Modern football has seen an immense level of scrutiny on the players and the managers alike. The club bosses have to be at their best on the field and off it too in order to have the best possible environment for a team to succeed.
The media plays a huge role in making or breaking a perception about a certain player or manager and it is up to the individual how he deals with the media's focus.
Mind games, diverting attention from a bad performance; managers have done it all to use the media to their utmost advantage. On the other hand, players whose life stories need to be told or someone who is in dire need of an image makeover take the help of the media channels to resurrect their dwindling careers.
We take a look at the five footballing personalities who used the media attention to their advantage.
#1 Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson was truly the man who perfected the art of mind games and used it to his side's betterment throughout his managing career. It all started with the title rivalry against Newcastle United in the late '90s when his jibe at the Magpies led to an epic meltdown from Kevin Keegan which ultimately saw Manchester United win the title that season.
He followed that up a decade later against Rafael Benitez who delivered his infamous "facts" press conference against the United boss. Liverpool soon lost the plot and another league title fell in Ferguson's lap.
The Scot also had a brilliant rivalry with Roberto Mancini and often used his press conferences to rile up the Italian. He often banned journalists from press conferences and did give away expletive-laden interviews.
But during his entire Manchester United reign, he used the media to his advantage by either playing with the minds of the opposition or diverting attention from his side's difficult period by some way or the other.
#2 Jose Mourinho
If Sir Alex was the master of mind games then Jose Mourinho could be labelled as the master of the dark arts - on and off the field. Be it in England, Italy or Spain, Mourinho has had his bad days with the press aplenty.
His final season with Chelsea was a forgettable one for the Special One along with his stint in La Liga where he labelled the Spanish media of having an agenda against him.
Despite his struggles with the press, Mourinho is considered to be one of the smartest managers when a microphone is place in front of him. It is still believed that Mourinho plans his every move off the field and succeeds in getting his way, every single time.
Right from diverting attention from a bad performance to deflecting questions on a player's future, Mourinho does that with ease. He uses the media to his advantage as per the form his team is in.
On happy and sunny days, Mourinho can be a funny and witty man whereas on bad days there is not a tougher nut to crack than the Portuguese.
His jibes against Arsene Wenger and, recently, against Antonio Conte created headlines every single time which is exactly what the Special One wants. If not for football, Mourinho would probably have made a fine politician.
#3 Emmanuel Eboue
Once a fan favourite with Arsenal, Emmanuel Eboue has had a heartbreaking fall from grace. In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Eboue revealed that a divorce has led him to lose all of his life's earnings to his wife.
He is currently living at his friend's house and admitted that he usually sleeps on the floor. Eboue has been battling with depression and sadly, has even thought of taking his life.
But his decision to reach out to the Mirror has led the former Arsenal midfielder to finally have a silver lining to his story. Knowing his current conditions, Galatasaray - Eboue's former club - have come forward to help their former player.
Eboue has reportedly been offered a coaching role with the club's U-14 side and will also be given paid accommodation by the club.
The Mirror has done a commendable job of publicizing Eboue's story - a player who was in desperate need of attention from his former clubs. He received that through that interview and now has the chance to rebuild his life.
Arsenal have also promised to help out the Ivorian in the near future.
#4 Pep Guardiola
You generally do not associate Pep Guardiola with mind games and trying every trick in the book to get into the minds of the opposition. The Catalan man prefers to do his talking on the pitch but sometimes, the former Barcelona boss has let himself loose during press conferences and used the media as an outlet to vent out.
Ahead of a semi-final clash in the Champions League between Real Madrid and Barcelona during the 2011/12 season, Jose Mourinho had mocked Guardiola over complaining about an offside goal in their previous meeting.
That triggered the Barcelona boss who then said that Mourinho was "the f**king boss, the f**king man" of the press room and the Portuguese deserved a Champions League for his antics off the field.
When Guardiola returned to the dressing room after that scathing attack on Mourinho, his players gave him a standing ovation for his quick wit. Barcelona went on to eliminate Real Madrid in the semis and it is believed that Guardiola's reaction in the press conference led to a change of dynamics in both the camps.
#5 Antonio Conte
A new dimension to the reigning Premier League winning manager is being seen this season. Antonio Conte has complained a lot and been very demanding this season in many of his press conferences.
During the summer transfer window, it was the missed targets and a failure to sign reinforcements which led Conte to complain to the board. Then it was the fixture congestion due to the increased European games which led Conte to voice his frustration against the FA.
Chelsea have started this season at a slow pace and have picked up the pace only since early November. The result of Conte's complaining and bickering to the media has led to a drop of attention to the team's performances which has resulted in a sense of freedom for the side.
The Blues aren't complaining as Conte's men are alive and kicking in every competition. Conte's request for upgrades has also reportedly been accepted by the Chelsea board as the Italian is expected to splash the cash in January.
All in all, Conte's tricks of victimization in the media has led him to get funds and also divert criticism from the drawbacks of his side.
