5 Managers who were sacked after winning trophies

Maurizio Sarri has been relieved of his duties as Juventus' head coach
Maurizio Sarri has been relieved of his duties as Juventus' head coach

#3 Antonio Conte | Chelsea

Conte was sacked despite delivering the FA Cup
Conte was sacked despite delivering the FA Cup

The second Italian manager associated with Chelsea on this list, Antonio Conte masterminded a stunning title win in his very first season in England. The former Juventus boss took over a side that endured a catastrophic season the year before, finishing tenth on the table.

Conte sparked this side back to life and romped to the top of the table with the Blues. They eventually ended seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and 15 above Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. After a rough summer window, Conte's Chelsea finished in an underwhelming fifth place. However, he also delivered an FA Cup at Stamford Bridge after a victory against Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in the final.

The former Italy boss was sacked after the end of the 2017/18 season despite his FA Cup success. He was replaced by Maurizio Sarri at the helm who, incidentally, departed from London just a year later.


#2 Louis van Gaal | Manchester United

Van Gaal was sacked on the eve of his FA Cup victory
Van Gaal was sacked on the eve of his FA Cup victory

Louis van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford fresh off his stunning World Cup campaign with the Dutch national team. The veteran head coach took Oranje till the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup, where his side lost out to Argentina on penalties. The 69-year-old came to Manchester United with the hope of being the man to oversee a rebuild and reinstate the Red Devils' status as one of the biggest clubs in the world.

It was ultimately an underwhelming spell for both parties after Van Gaal led them to a fourth-place finish in his first season. After an unceremonious exit from the Champions League group stage, the Dutchman ended his second campaign with a fifth-place finish and an FA Cup trophy — the club's first since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. It was only a matter of a few hours after the win that Manchester United announced his sacking, with widespread reports claiming that Jose Mourinho was set to succeed him.

Although Van Gaal faced an undeserved dismissal from Bayern Munich earlier on in the decade, his sacking at United in the wake of their successful FA Cup campaign was remarkably harsh.


#1 Vicente Del Bosque | Real Madrid

Del Bosque was sacked just two days after winning LaLiga
Del Bosque was sacked just two days after winning LaLiga

Arguably one of the strangest sackings since the turn of the century, Real Madrid opted against offering head coach Vicente Del Bosque a new contract two days after winning their second LaLiga title in four years. The Spaniard saw an immensely successful spell at the helm of the Santiago Bernabeu, having won two LaLiga titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues and three other trophies in a glorious four-year span.

There was little doubt of their achievements and performances on the pitch as Del Bosque guided them to their most successful era in almost half a century. Having won a staggering 104 wins out of a possible 186, it was clear that there were higher powers at play which led to his eventual departure. Tensions reportedly flared at the Bernabeu with other senior members of the dressing room, including club captain Fernando Hierro.

Del Bosque masterminded Spain's 2010 World Cup win
Del Bosque masterminded Spain's 2010 World Cup win

Due to the political rifts at the club involving Florentino Perez, the legendary Spain was allowed to leave as Real Madrid looked to 'shake up' the squad. Los Blancos' then-Sports Director Jorge Valdano cited stagnation of the squad as one of the reasons. Real Madrid ultimately entered another barren spell, and went through seven managerial changes in the following four years.


Also read: Juventus eye Mauricio Pochettino as Maurizio Sarri's successor

Quick Links