The game of football is played by a team of eleven people on the pitch, but only one person is in charge of what they do on it. A football manager is not just a coach but also a leader, like the people leading the various countries of the world, who are in charge of their nation's most important decisions and how they go about achieving certain goals and developing their countries.
Also read: The Suicide Squad of football
There are several managers in football that have a similar or relatable personalities or styles to many world leaders. Let’s take a look at five popular World Leaders and relatable Football Managers.
#1 Donald Trump and Jose Mourinho
Donald Trump and Jose Mourinho are currently the most controversial names in their particular fields of work. There are plenty of similarities between these two individuals, particularly on the negative side but also have a few positive accomplishments to their names.
Mourinho is known to be a very arrogant and narcissistic individual just like the new President-elect of the United States of America, Donald. Let it be interviews or press conferences; both these leaders have a way of annoying people with their arguments. Mourinho and Trump also possess a certain narcissistic element to them which they often disclose during confrontations or glory moments.
Although most elements might be a shade negative, there are a few big achievements that Trump and Mourinho have achieved over the years. Not many would have expected Donald Trump to win the US elections, but the billionaire businessman achieved the hottest seat in the World of politics.
Similarly, Mourinho, despite his controversial style of playing football has achieved many big feats like Champions League glory along with multiple League titles with many clubs in Europe. Jose Mourinho and Donald Trump might be the most hated people in their fields but they also have the hottest seats in them.
#2 Barack Obama and Arsene Wenger
America’s 44th and first ever black President has a lot of similarities with Arsenal’s French manager, Arsene Wenger that you might not have known.
Obama is the first United States President to hold the office despite not being born in America. Arsene Wenger has a similar attribute of being the first ever non-English manager to win the English Premier League. Another interesting fact that both personalities have in common is the duration of their tenure.
Arsene Wenger is the longest serving manager in the history of the English Premier League or England. Similarly, Barack Obama is only the 6th ever US President to be elected to the White House twice. According to American politics, no person can serve longer than two terms as the President of the country, which technically makes Obama one of the longest serving Presidents of America.
Apart from these facts both individuals have a similar kind of personality and are soft spoken and let their actions do the work.
#3 Narendra Modi and Jurgen Klopp
The 66-year-old Indian Prime Minister has promised to bring a big change to the country after winning the elections in 2014. A similar was promise was made by a certain charismatic German Manager named Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp was appointed as the manager of Liverpool in 2015 and certainly has brought a huge change at the club which can be related to the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought changes to India. Narendra Modi has hit the ground running as soon as he took charge implementing new ideas and schemes including Digital India and the recent Demonetisation.
Jurgen Klopp has certainly brought a few changes of his own with the Gegen style pressing and double training shifts for his players. Although the players had struggled at the beginning with the extra amount of training, they are now reaping the rewards of their hard work as the Merseyside club are just four points off the Premier League leaders, Chelsea.
Indians also might struggle now with the demonetisation effect as people are finding it hard to access money all over the country. But just like Klopp’s vision for his players, Narendra Modi also has a vision for the people of his country mainly to eradicate black money from the nation.
The struggle might be real, but it sure will bear fruit in the future. Narendra Modi has asked the people of his nation to believe just like how Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp asked his players and fans after his appointment.
#4 Enrique Peña Nieto and Pep Guardiola
The Mexican President and the Spanish manager share a lot of similarities although they belong in different fields. Firstly both personalities have started their careers while they were just teenagers, Nieto was just 18 when he joined the Institutional Revolutionary Party which has ruled Mexico for 71 years. Even Guardiola was in his teens when he first got into the world of football.
Guardiola also has a connection with Mexico having started his coaching career in the Latin country. Pep was part of Mexican football club Dorados de Sinaloa where he played under Juanma Lillo but also took coaching lessons from his mentor. He was asked on many occasions to study the team's opponents by Lilo and would often help team-mates with tactical and technical ideas.
Both Guardiola and Nieto have a great taste in fashion and can pull off any kind of look. In fact, Guardiola also donned the cover of Spain’s GQ magazine in the past for his eccentric dressing sense – especially his suits. Enrique Peña Nieto has also been in the lists of best-dressed and most stylish world leaders in the past.
#5 Justin Trudeau and Eddie Howe
Justin Trudeau and Eddie Howe are certainly one of the youngest and most charming people in their fields. Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister is just 44 years of age and is the 2nd youngest Prime Minister of the country. Similarly, Eddie Howe is just 39 years of age and is the youngest football manager in the English Premier League; Eddie was just 31 when he was appointed as the manager of the Cherries back in 2009.
Eddie Howe and Justin Trudeau also have a connection with the word “Boxer” as the Canadian Prime Minister is also a part-time boxer in real life and has taken part in several charity boxing matches in the past. Eddie Howe’s connection here is that of his dog Rodney which he owned during his days as an apprentice and also got a tattoo with the letter ‘R’ on his arm in memory of the dog.
In fact, even Justin Trudeau has a tattoo of planet earth inside a Haida raven on his arm.
