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Football coaching is one of the toughest jobs in the sport. When a team wins, the coaches are hailed. When a team performs poorly the coaches are sacked. They are the ones who need to think about the tactics before every match and make the hard decisions when it comes to who starts the matches. They are also the ones who will have to keep their squad happy and contented no matter the playing time each player gets.
All this can take a toll on a coach. Coaches are tacticians and true masters in reading not only their squad's strengths and weaknesses but also of their opponents. You would think that a person who has played football professionally would be ideal for this job. But that is not the case mostly.
Great managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have mediocre success during their playing career. It was through management that they achieved their fame. On the other hand, some great players have not been successful in management. Diego Maradona has not found many triumphs as a coach and arguably the greatest player ever, Pele, has not even tried to get into management.
But there are some from this rare breed who have made it big. They were influential during their playing careers and have continued that trend when they took on the role of the manager. Here are 5 of the best player-coaches of this century:
#5 Diego Simeone
Simeone was a midfielder who played for Argentina and several clubs including Athletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Lazio. He had over 100 caps for the Albiceleste and over 500 club appearances.
Simone started his playing career in Argentina before moving to Serie A with Pisa. Though his time with Pisa was a failure as they were relegated, he was sold to Seville afterward. Simeone did enough to attract the attention of fellow La Liga team Athletico Madrid, with whom he tasted success as they went on to lift the La Liga title and Copa del Rey double.
The high of Simeone's career though was in Serie A. He returned to Italy with Inter Milan where he won the UEFA Cup in 1998. He then moved to rivals Lazio where he won another domestic double and establish himself as one of Lazio's best players. After spending a few more years in Rome he moved back to Racing Cub in Argentina.
Simeone's coaching career began where his playing career ended. But like his former trade, his coaching beginnings were quite nomadic. He moved from one club to another, sometimes in the same year. All that changed when he went to Athletico Madrid in 2011.
Under Simeone, Athletico has become one of the powerhouses of La Liga. Simeone has helped break the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid over La Liga with Athletico. He won the UEFA Cup in the first year of his management. He then masterminded the Rojiblancos to their first La Liga title since 1996, which was when Simeone himself won the title as a player. He also led them to the UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to their city rivals Real Madrid.
Simeone was known as a hard-working midfielder, and he has drilled that ideology into his players at the Wanda Metropolitano. His team is known for being notoriously hard to break down and to hit the opposition with quick counter-attacks, which was the hallmark of their game as they won the La Liga and reached the Champions League finals twice. Simeone still continues as the head coach in Athletico, but it won't be too long before the other big clubs come for his services.
#4 Frank Rijkaard
Rijkaard was a Dutch defensive midfielder and was considered one of the best of his generation. He plied his trade with clubs like Ajax and Milan, where he won multiple trophies. This included three Champions League titles, two with Milan and one with Ajax. He played under legendary coaches like Sacchi and Cruyff, which undeniably helped him when he became a coach.
For the Netherlands, Rijkaard was capped over 70 times and won the Euro in 1988. And it was with his National side where he started his managerial career. He was successful despite his critics who stated that he was inexperienced. Rijkaard led the Dutch into the semi-finals of the Euro 2000 but did not continue after the tournament. That followed a doomed campaign with Sparta Rotterdam, where they got relegated from the Eredivisie.
But Rijkaard greatest achievement as manager came after that. While many may consider Pep Guardiola as the one of Barcelona's greatest manager, Rijkaard should be considered as one their most important ones. Rijkaard came at a time when Barcelona was struggling. The Blaugrana have not won the La Liga or a trophy since 1999. Suffice to say, Rijkaard's appointment in 2003 came as a surprise. But Rijkaard stuck around and used the knowledge he had acquired under Sacchi and Cruyff to good effect.
Firstly, he brought the La Liga title back to Camp Nou. Rijkaard breathed new life into the team and they were playing some of the best football not only in La Liga but in Europe. Under him, Barcelona took the first steps into being the club they are today.
Secondly, he brought players like Ronaldinho, Eto'o, and Deco to compliment the young players from the La Masia system like Xavi and Iniesta. Rijkaard gave La Masia graduates a chance to shine in the senior team, which has been paying dividends even today.
And lastly but most importantly, Rijkaard introduced the world to a teenager from Argentina. Lionel Messi would not have been playing at Barcelona had Rijkaard not given him the chance or atmosphere within the senior team to grow. And the world now enjoys the mesmerizing football thanks to the Dutchman.
In five years, Rijkaard won two La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006, the later the first since 1992. Rijkaard moved on to Galatasaray, but he could not replicate the success he found in Camp Nou. In fact, Rijkaard would retire from coaching in 2013. While his managerial career was short-lived, he certainly laid the foundations in Barcelona for Pep Guardiola to come and assert his possession philosophy. Without Rijkaard, Barcelona's modern history might have been quite different from the one we know today.
#3 Didier Deschamps
Deschamps is one of France's greatest players. He plied his trade as a defensive midfielder and was a great leader. He played for clubs like Marseille and Juventus, where he was very successful. Deschamps was the youngest captain to lead his team to the Champions League title, with Marseille in 1993. He also won two Ligue 1 titles with the French club and eventually moved to Juventus.
In Italy, Deschamps success continued as he lifted three Serie A titles and another Champions League title. He spent five years in Turin before he brought an end to his club career with short spells at Chelsea and Valencia.
Deschamps coaching career began with AS Monaco and spent four years with the Principality side as they reached the Champions League final in 2004. He then went to Juventus, where he played an important role in their history despite staying there for only one season.
Juve was embroiled in the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, which led them being stripped off their Serie A title and being relegated. Deschamps arrived at this crucial period were Juve were at their lowest and weakest. They had to sell off many of their first team players but Deschamps led the Old Lady back to Serie A in just one season.
But Deschamps manager career took off where it all started for him as a player. He was back at Marseille and he led them to their first Ligue 1 title in 18 years. Marseille also won Copa de la Ligue three years in a row, marking a period of success for both Deschamps and the Stade Velodrome outfit.
Like his club career, Deschamps's International career was also a success. He represented his country in over 100 matches and captained his nation to the World Cup in 1998 and the Euro in 2000. His success in Marseille as manager prompted the French Football Federation to hire him as their manager after the Euro 2012. Deschamps led his side to the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup and into the finals of the 2016 Euros, losing to Portugal in extra-time.
Deschamps though had the last laugh as he led his nation to the World Cup title in 2018, becoming one of the few players to win the title as player and coach. This was 20 years after France won the trophy in 1998, which Deschamps lifted.
Deschamps was a leader on the field and has shown he is also one off it. While his 1998 World Cup win cemented his place as France's greatest players, the win in 2018 surely makes him one of France's greatest coaches as well.
#2 Zinedine Zidane
Zidane needs no introduction. As a player, he was one of the greatest to ever set foot on the field. The attacking midfielder had a tremendous first touch and could dribble his way out of any tough situation. He has scored some famous goals like the brace in the 1998 World Cup finals and his spectacular first-time volley in the 2001 Champions League final.
Zidane started his career in AS Cannes and his talents were evident to everyone around him. He helped them to fourth place in the Ligue 1, which was their highest ever finish till today. After four years in Cannes, Zidane spent another four years in Bordeaux, where he started to shine and started getting attention from outside France.
Juventus came calling next, and Zidane was happy to oblige. With the Old lady, the Frenchman won two consecutive Serie A titles. It was also during this period where Zidane scored his brace against favorites Brazil to help France lift the World Cup in 1998. His exploits in both club and international level won him the Ballon d'Or in 1998 and the FIFA Player twice in 1998 and 2000.
All this led to newly elected President of Real Madrid, Florentino Perez, to pay a then world record fee to make Zidane a new Galactico. And Zidane surely repaid it with his memorable volley in the Champions League final in 2001. With the Los Blancos, he won the La Liga and also his third FIFA World Player of the year award.
Zidane's career was going from strength to strength when the infamous headbutt happened in the 2006 World Cup finals. France and Italy were locked at 1-1 in the finals when Zidane decided to headbutt Marco Materazzi after the Italian defender provoked him. The Frenchman was sent off, and France lost the finals in penalties. Zidane retired from professional football after that night and it still remains one of the iconic moments in football history.
Zidane joined Real Madrid in a non-coaching capacity but was soon thrust into the action as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant. After Ancelotti's dismissal, he joined the Real Madrid Castilla, the B team of Los Blancos, for some coaching experience. But it was not too long before the senior team came calling.
Real Madrid was struggling in the league after a poor run of form. It resulted in the sacking of Rafa Benitez and the appointment of Zidane as head coach. Zidane relative inexperience could have been a problem, but his former trade came to help him out.
While his playing career did give him useful insight, it was his reputation that helped him rally his squad. Many of his players considered him the greatest and he used that respect to unify the team and get his tactics across. He won the La Liga once in his two and half years as coach, but he became the first manager to win the Champions League in three consecutive years.
Zidane's coaching career may be a young one, but he has already achieved what many coaches have failed to do in their lifetime. While many consider him a cup specialist due to his success in the Champions League and lack of in La Liga, he still has time to prove them wrong. Many may know him for his infamous night in 2006, but if he continues like this his coaching career may eclipse his playing one.
#1 Pep Guardiola
Guardiola is hands down the most influential coach of this century. His attention to detail and his adamancy on possession play is notorious. He is also known to sell off players who don't fit his system, no matter how good the players are.
Guardiola was a Barcelona man all the way. He started his career in the Barca youth system before he became part of the famous Dream Team of Johan Cruyff. He was a deep-lying midfielder and won Barcelona's first Champions League title in 1992. He also won 6 La Liga titles, out of which the first four were back to back.
Injury problems led to Guardiola's effect being diminished at the end of his Barca career as a player, but he was still considered as one of their best midfielders. After short stints in clubs all around the world, Guardiola brought an end to his playing career. His Spain career though was not a successful one. He was only capped 47 times and missed the Euro 1996 after a falling out with the management.
After retiring, Guardiola took the reigns of Barca's B team. Having been brought up in La Masia himself and played for the club for over a decade, Guardiola knew the Barca way. After just one season he was promoted to the senior team, where Guardiola quickly established his famous ruthless philosophy. He sold many of the old guards like Ronaldinho and Deco, replacing them with the players from his Barca B team and other La Masia graduates. He signed Dani Alves and Gerard Pique, who would go on to serve the club in its most illustrious period.
Guardiola's first season saw Barca win the famous sextuple, the only club to win 6 trophies in a year. Guardiola would go on to take Barca into a whole new level, making Messi the world-class player we know today. Barca won the La Liga three times, the Champions League twice and the Copa del Rey twice.
After four years in Barca, Guardiola went to Bayern Munich. His success continued as he won the Bundesliga title all the years he was there. And usually with many games remaining. Guardiola is currently the manager of Manchester City and has already won the league in his second season, that too with a record number of points. The Citizens' dominance continues this season and it seems it will be a hard task stopping them.
Many describe Guardiola's tactics as tiki-taka. Tiki-Taka is a form of football where short passes and possession is king. But many teams have tried to copy it and failed to achieve to emulate Guardiola's success.
Guardiola's tactics run deeper than tiki-taka. While he prefers the 4-3-3 formation, that is hardly the case when the team plays. The flexibility of his team is the reason why his teams are so successful. While the defense and midfield remain intact during a build-up, the final third is usually free form.
Guardiola is always adamant that keeping the ball is key. Instead of kicking the ball out blindly, he stresses his players to remain patient and look for passes. It is also important for him that his players always aware of their position and are ready to win back the ball whenever the team loses it.
Guardiola's exploits in club level certainly reflected in the international stage. While he was the manager of Barcelona, Spain lifted the World Cup in 2010 and Euro in 2012. The Spanish squad consisted many of the Barca players and the tiki-taka philosophy was very much part of their play.
Similarly, when he was the manager of Bayern Munich, Germany lifted the World Cup. For those who think it might be a lucky coincidence, just take a look at the resurgence of the England National team. While Gareth Southgate's work shouldn't be played down, Pep Guardiola surely has had an effect in players like Raheem Sterling, Delph, Stones, and Walker. And all these players played a pivotal part in helping England reach the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.
Therefore, there cannot be any doubt that Pep Guardiola has changed the way football is being played. Clubs and national sides all around the world are trying to copy his style, but it is not easy. Pep Guardiola did not achieve his style from copying but through dedication in understanding the opposition and the willingness to adapt accordingly without giving up on his principles.
