The evidence• Followed up a glittering playing career by capturing two Dutch Cups and the 1986/87 European Cup Winners' Cup with Ajax in his first coaching post.• Remains the only Liga manager to win four successive titles, as Barcelona utterly dominated the Liga from 1990/91 to 1993/94. • Led Barcelona to their first European Cup success in 1991/92, setting the template for future triumphs under Frank Rijkaard, Josep Guardiola and Luis EnriqueThe expert testimony"Johan Cruyff painted the chapel; Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it. He h... UEFA.com - News
Tag: coaches
The best ever coaches: Rinus Michels
The evidence• Led Ajax to four Dutch titles and the first of three successive European Champion Clubs' Cups in 1970/71 – having lost to AC Milan in the 1969 final.• Steered an unforgettable Netherlands side to the 1974 FIFA World Cup final, later winning the 1988 UEFA European Championship with a different Oranje generation.• Also clinched the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Liga and Copa del Rey with Barcelona and a German Cup with Köln.The expert testimony"He put the Netherlands on the map in such a way that everybody still benefits from it. With him, results came first, but the quality of soccer was No1. Both as a playe... UEFA.com - News
The best ever coaches: Valeriy Lobanovskiy
The evidence• Most decorated coach in the former Soviet Union and independent Ukraine and a 1988 UEFA European Championship runner-up as USSR coach.• Won 13 national league titles, nine domestic cups and two European Cup Winners' Cups in three spells with Dynamo Kyiv.• Nurtured three Ballon d'Or winners: Oleg Blokhin (1975), Igor Belanov (1986) and Andriy Shevchenko (2004).The expert testimony"Lobanovskiy's influence on me was so profound that I still often see him in my dreams. He did not divide players into defenders and attackers but developed a range of skills in all of us. He used me for pressing and blocking othe... UEFA.com - News
WU19 EURO preview: What the coaches say
Suspended on matchday one: Ingrid Syrstad Engen (Norway), Marina Georgieva (Austria), Maureen Sanders (Netherlands)Group A: Slovakia v Netherlands (17:00CEST, Senec), France v Norway (18:00CEST, Zlate Moravce)Gilles Eyquem, France coachOur goal is to win the trophy. We have prepared well, are ambitious and ready to perform. We arrived two days ago and the facilities are great. The players aren't nervous. We've had a two-week training camp so they cannot wait to get going. The Netherlands, Germany and Spain are strong teams – I reckon they are our main rivals for the title.Nils Lexerød, Norway coach
Youngest and oldest UEFA competition-winning coaches
Youngest major UEFA club competition final winning coaches33y 213d: André Villas-Boas (Porto, 2011 UEFA Europa League) 33y 308d: Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea, 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup) 34y 102d*: Sven-Göran Eriksson (IFK Göteborg, 1982 UEFA Cup) 34y 163d: Víctor Fernández (Real Zaragoza, 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup) 36y 101d: Joaquim Rifé (Barcelona, 1979 European Cup Winners' Cup)Youngest UEFA Champions League winning coach38y 129d: Josep Guardiola (Barcelona, 2009)Youngest European Champion Clubs' Cup winning coach36 yrs 184 days: José Villalonga (Real Madrid, 1956)
Wambach: Pia coaches with her heart
© Getty Images2012 was a big year for women's football, with a worthy climax at the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2012 Gala and the presentation of the awards for the best player and coach in the women's game. Abby Wambach and Pia Sundhage, two undisputed greats of the sport and the pair who spearheaded USA's successful assault on Olympic gold in the summer of 2012, were worthy winners of the prestigious awards.However, accolades and honours are not the only reason why Sundhage strikes such a chord with her players. The audience gained an inkling of the coach’s personal charisma when the former USA and current Sweden boss celebrated her success by directing a rendition of the Bob Dylan number If
Coaches react to Brazil 2013 draw
© Getty ImagesThe build-up to the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 began in earnest on Saturday, when the draw for the group phase took place in Sao Paulo. Hosts Brazil line up in Group A with Japan, Mexico and Italy, while Spain, Uruguay and Tahiti will be joined in Group B by the champions of Africa, whose identity will be revealed after next February’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations final. Speaking to the press afterwards, the coaches of the seven national teams to have already secured their places looked ahead to what they can expect when next June’s Festival of Champions gets under way:Group ALuiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil): We Brazilians think we’ve got a competitive, quality team, and this tournament