SUMMARY
- Coaching requires excellent communication and game knowledge.
- Coaches prefer sticking to either a national team or a club dude to the demands of work pressure.
Managing a soccer team has to be one of the most daunting tasks in the soccer world. It requires the utmost knowledge of the game and impeccable communication skills to deal with the players. While managing a team can be difficult, some managers have earned the distinction of being the head coach of both club and country. In 2024, we have found the latest entrant to this very unique list.
🔵🇸🇰 Slovakian Federation has already approved the double role for Francesco Calzona as national team head coach and Napoli manager at least until June.
It’s up to Napoli now, negotiations continue today in order to decide on managerial situation. pic.twitter.com/7qiFJo0m1d
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2024
The new entrant joins legendary managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Guus Hiddink who have all managed a club and a country simultaneously. However, the manager has found a very challenging task at his new club.
Napoli appoint Francesco Calzona as their new manager
Italian side Napoli is set to appoint Francesco Carzona as their new head coach. However, The Italian manager has also contracted with the Slovakia National soccer team since 2022. The Italian club is all prepared to sack Walter Mazzari from his current position as the first team’s head coach. The Neopolitans had appointed Walter after firing former Al-Nassr coach Rudi Garcia on November 2023.
This is however not the first that Francesco would be coaching at Napoli. The 55-year-old was also the technical manager of the club under Luciano Spaletti for one season.
🚨🔵 Napoli have final meeting set to take place in order to discuss details of Francesco Calzona’s contract and staff.
Marek Hamsik could no longer be part of the staff.
Final points to clarify and then Napoli will proceed with decision on the manager.@MatteMoretto 🤝🏻 pic.twitter.com/jkSQy3Zk0t
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2024
Napoli find themselves compelled to fire Walter Mazzari. The club is languishing in the 9th position in the Serie A 23/24 table while they are set to face Spanish giants FC Barcelona in the Champions League R16. It has been a remarkable fall from grace considering the same club had won the League title in the previous season.
Francesco Carzona’s stint as the coach of Slovakia is the first time the 55-year-old has been the head coach of a senior team. He has done a decent job as the national team’s head coach and oversaw Slovakia’s qualification for the UEFA Euro 2024. Rumors had earlier suggested that Francesco’s coaching staff would include Napoli legend Marek Hamsik, but the negotiations seem to be stalling.
Managers who have coached both club and country simultaneously
1)Sir Alex Ferguson
Soccer fans know Sir Alex Ferguson as the most successful manager in Manchester United’s history. The Scottish manager won 13 Premier League titles and 2 UEFA Champions League titles with ‘The Red Devils.’ But only a few of them know that Sir Alex has earned the rare distinction of simultaneously managing a club and a country. The 82-year-old had managed Scottish club Aberdeen and the Scotland National Soccer Team.
#OTD in 1985, Sir Alex Ferguson memorably guided @ScottishFA through the #WorldCup play-offs to reach 🇲🇽1986
ℹ️👉https://t.co/vecWmkrkEG pic.twitter.com/Uy0jWXdVMZ— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 5, 2016
Sir Alex had a brief stint with the Scotland National Team where he even took the country to a World Cup. He had taken over the reins in 1985 after the death of the previous manager Jock Stein had passed away.
Sir Alex Ferguson had to oversee Scotland’s disappointing 1986 FIFA World Cup campaign that saw them finish bottom of their group. Scotland however, lost the game and failed to qualify for the World Cup in Mexico. During that time, Sir Alex had also been managing Aberdeen with whom he had won the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup by defeating Real Madrid.
2)Guus Hiddink
The Dutch manager has been appointed a club and a country twice in his career. First of all, he managed both Australia and PSV Eindhoven from 2005-06. And then again, almost three years later in 2009, he found himself managing both Russia and Chelsea. Guus Hiddink had already achieved legendary status at PSV by winning 6 Eredivisie titles with the club while he also took Australia to the 2006 World Cup.
🎖🇳🇱 𝐆𝐮𝐮𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐤 has been decorated with the Federal Knighthood of the Royal Netherlands Football Association for his huge contributions to Dutch football.#NothingLikeOranje pic.twitter.com/0ehvPQrwsC
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) May 3, 2023
The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was the first time in 32 years, that Australia had qualified for the World Cup. The Island nation also did pretty well in the tournament reaching the R16 where they lost 1-0 to eventual champions Italy. In 2009, Guus Hiddink guided Chelsea to a UEFA Champions League Semi-Final and an FA Cup win, all whilst managing Russia.
3)Rinus Michels
The Dutch soccer manager is credited with the invention of ‘total football’, a very fluid way of playing soccer. In 1974, the Netherlands had appointed Rinus as their new manager. However, the Dutch manager had already been managing FC Barcelona in Spain. With the Netherlands, Rinus had a terrific 1974 FIFA World Cup where they finished runners-up losing to hosts West Germany in the final.
Rinus Michels had an illustrious career that saw him win 4 Eredivisie titles with Ajax. He managed FC Barcelona in two differents that saw him win the La Liga title in the 1973/74 season. Rinus Michels returned to coach the Netherlands after his first stint in 1974 and won the UEFA Euro in 1988.