It is not easy being a manager or coach of a football club, premier or otherwise. When things are going fine for the club players hog the limelight entirely, but as soon as the going gets tough it is the manager who invariably gets sacked from the job. In the club circuit, there have been some smart and not-so-smart managerial appointments. Today, let us have look at some of the managerial recruits that ended up as catastrophe in no time.
Bosses who turned out to be big flops in recent times
Jurgen Klinsmann (Bayern Munich / 2008-09)
He was a hero for Germany in the 2006 World Cup despite the team finishing third on home soil. Klinsmann received immense love of the Germans as they felt he performed exceedingly well in the tournament. He was also a part of the World Cup-winning West German team in 1990 and the unified German side which won the UEFA European Championship in 1996. But things changed drastically for him in 2008, when he took up the job as Bayern Munich’s manager. He failed in his endeavour to add new feathers to the cap of the club as well as sustain the good work achieved by it previously and rightfully got the boot in 2009 as the side finished third in the table.
Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea-2011-12)
At the age of 33, Boas came to Stamford Bridge as a highly promising young coach in Europe. He had taken Porto to greater heights as its boss. When Chelsea chose him to replace Carlo Ancelotti in 2011, it was pretty much evident that he only had a thin rope to walk on. Boas turned out to be a super fiasco for the much-fancied club and he was shown the door in 2011 as the club finished fifth on the table.
David Moyes (Manchester United- 2013/14)
It is no joke replacing somebody like Sir Alex Ferguson and Moyes found out the same sooner than later. After coming to the United, Moyes got Marouane Fellaini from Goodison Park and signed Juan Mata later on. But he was asked to go in April 2014, when the United found themselves seventh on the table. Unfortunately, his stint with the club coincided with the Red Devils’ worst-ever campaign in the Premier League, hence Moyes’ appointment continues to be an event best left forgotten for the Reds.
Jose Mourinho (Tottenham-2019/20)
Mourinho’s appointment as Tottenham manager took everyone by surprise as he was not considered as an appropriate choice to take forward the flamboyant legacy of the ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino. Despite a few highs during Mourinho’s time with the club like the 6-1 drubbing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, his minuses with the club outnumber the plusses. If the poor performances were not enough, his fractious ties with players such as Gareth Bale and Dele Alli added to his list of liabilities. Eventually, he was given marching papers a week prior to Tottenham’s clash with Manchester City in the League Cup final.
Julen Lopetegui (Real Madrid- 2018)
Well, he lost the golden chance to manage his country in a World Cup due to his appointment as the head coach of Real Madrid for the 2018/19 season. Spanish football association was not pleased with his new assignment and he was dropped unceremoniously as the team’s manager even before the ultimate soccer carnival kicked off in 2018. At Madrid, Lopetegui’s term lasted a mere five-month with the 5-1 loss against Barcelona making his presence in the club untenable.
