Football is far more than a pitch. It’s a game in which tactics and leadership enable the field as well as on-field panache. The best football managers are the master designers of their teams’ successes, creating legacies that long outlive them. In this article, we look back at the characters of some legendary football managers and their unique traits.
Pep Guardiola – Manchester City
Pep Guardiola is a managerial icon with tactical genius. Guardiola has applied a possession-based, high-pressing philosophy that he largely borrowed from Johan Cruyff during the latter’s influential time with Barcelona. Having won league titles, two Champions League trophies at Barcelona, and subsequent successes with Bayern Munich and Manchester City, his stock is sky-high in football management.
Manchester City is set to face off against Tottenham on October 30. With Spurs holding a 40% chance of victory, a draw at 25%, and Man City at 35%, the outcome is expected to be highly competitive, according to kickoff.co.uk. Fans searching for a way to bet on Manchester City can do so via the Lottoland live sports betting platform. Get the best EFL Odds on all upcoming EFL games, including Manchester City’s.
Sir Alex Ferguson – Manchester United
The name Sir Alex Ferguson immediately brings to mind Manchester United where he took the managerial position from 1986 till 2013. Ferguson was a master team builder who knew how to get under the skin of his players; he was renowned for sticking to an attacking pattern of play. Having won a remarkable 38 trophies, with his haul including an incredible 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns, Ferguson has created a standard which is very difficult to match. As a managerial giant, he was able to change with the game whilst keeping the excellence high.
Rinus Michels – Netherlands
Rinus Michels, the recent former Netherlands national team coach, is credited often with developing ‘Total Football,’ a concept that allows any outfield player to take over the role of another in the line-up. It was a groundbreaking concept that transformed football in the 1970s. His philosophy that was built on space, movement, and interchangeability took the Dutch national team to the World Cup final in 1974. Also, his club sides had domestic and European success. Michels’ legacy is the flowing, attacking style that is still celebrated in today’s game.
Arrigo Sacchi – Italy
Even though he never played the game at an elite level, Arrigo Sacchi is one of the most significant figures in the history of football. He is most famous for his major achievements at AC Milan before taking the reins of the Italy national team. Toward the end of the 80s, Sacchi’s Milan side dominated Italian and European football with a collective play built on organization and hard work rather than individual brilliance. His most memorable saying, “Football is the most important of the least important things in life,” captures his philosophical approach to the game.
José Mourinho – Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe
Jose Mourinho, nicknamed ‘The Special One,’ is now coaching Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and is one of the more polarising figures in football management. He was very successful in Portugal, England, Italy, Spain, and back to Italy again. He has won league titles across Europe and two Champions League trophies with Porto and Inter Milan. No coach is better at galvanizing a squad and implementing the siege mentality in football than Mourinho.
Final Words
These managers changed the face of football with their tactics, motivation and a hunger for success. The stories will act as a manual for the future generations of coaches who aspire to sign their names and leave them forever in history books.
Image Source: unsplash.com