Great footballing minds often transition from being players to managers. There are a number of cases where iconic players on the pitch have managed to become good managers in the dugout as well. Here are the top five instances of great footballers becoming managers as well:
5. Andriy Shevchenko
Shevchenko is remembered for his playing days as a legend at AC Milan. He won the 2003 Ballon d’Or, and managed the Ukrainian national team up until recently. He helped them progress into the quarter finals of the Euros for the first time in their history and now manages Serie A club Genoa.
4. Carlo Ancelotti
The Italian manager is a serial winner, having led AC Milan and Real Madrid to European success during his time at these clubs. What people don’t remember is that Ancelotti was also a renowned player. He is one of the seven managers to have won the European Cup or Champions League as a player and manager.
3. Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers went unbeaten to end Celtic’s nine-year winning streak for the Scottish title in 2020-21.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 11, 2021
Their season was ridiculous 🏆💯 pic.twitter.com/7ntJgCYTMj
Gerrard is one of Liverpool’s most beloved legends, and was a one club man throughout his career. He led Rangers to an invincible season as they won the title, and is now the manager of Aston Villa in the Premier League.
2. Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman is still among the most skillful players to ever grace the game. He cemented his status as an elite manager by winning the Champions League with Real Madrid three times in a row, and also winning two La Liga titles with Los Blancos.
1. Pep Guardiola
Guardiola might go down as the greatest manager of all time. The former Barcelona midfielder became a revolutionary figure in charge of his former club. He also achieved success at Bayern Munich, and has managed to transform Manchester City into a title winning machine as well.
