Managers who managed their hometown club

Image 1 of 17

Plenty of footballers have played for a club in the town where they were born; not so many managers have done the equivalent.

Most of the gaffers here represented one or more local sides both on the pitch and in the dugout; others returned home at some point after hanging up their boots.

Without further ado, let’s start the list, shall we?

Image 2 of 17

Slaven Bilic (Hajduk Split)

Croatia legend Slaven Bilic began and ended his playing career with local side Hajduk Split, one of the biggest clubs in the country.

That’s also where the future national team, West Ham and West Brom boss began his managerial career, temporarily taking charge in 2001, having become a shareholder the previous year.

Image 3 of 17

Stanley Matthews (Port Vale)

The inimitable Stanley Matthews unquestionably goes down as the greatest player in Stoke City’s history – but his one and only stint in the dugout saw him manage the Potters’ arch-rivals, Port Vale.

Initially the club’s general manager, Matthews took over coaching responsibilities in May 1967. Less than a year later, Vale were booted out of the Football League for financial irregularities – only to earn a reprieve as their Ballon d’Or-winning boss successfully pleaded for them to be reinstated.

Image 4 of 17

Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace)

Roy Hodgson’s epic coaching career began in 1976 and took him from Sweden to Finland via Italy and the UAE; it wasn’t until 2017, though, that he took a job on his patch: Croydon.

Hodgson held the reins at Crystal Palace for almost four-and-a-half years across two spells, returning to Selhurst Park a matter of months after seemingly calling it a day as far as Premier League management went.

Image 5 of 17

Alex McLeish (Rangers)

An immensely successful defender with Aberdeen who earned 77 caps for Scotland, Alex McLeish never played for any of the various clubs based in his native Glasgow.

Seven years into his managerial journey, however, he was given one of the biggest roles in the country: manager of Rangers – who he steered to two Scottish top-flight titles, the first as part of a domestic double in 2002/03.

Image 6 of 17

Jupp Heynckes (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Long before he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and did the treble at Bayern Munich, Jupp Heynckes got his managerial break by taking charge of Borussia Monchengladbach – his local club and the one for whom he starred in numerous major triumphs as a player, setting their all-time goalscoring record.

A UEFA Cup runner-up during his first stint as Gladbach boss between 1979 and 1986, Heynckes returned for the 2006/07 season but could not stave off relegation from the Bundesliga.

Image 7 of 17

Neil Warnock (Sheffield United)

The longest tenure of Neil Warnock’s 40-plus years in management came at Sheffield United, where he took the reins in 1999.

In his penultimate campaign at the helm, 2005/06, Warnock guided the Blades back to the Premier League after an absence of 12 years – having overseen runs to the semi-finals of both domestic cups as a second-tier outfit three seasons previously.

Image 8 of 17

Raymond Goethals (Anderlecht)

Brussels native Raymond Goethals played in goal for some of smaller clubs locally, but he truly excelled as manager of the Belgian capital’s finest: Anderlecht.

In 1978, he delivered Anderlecht’s second Cup Winners’ Cup – overseeing a 4-0 victory over Austria Vienna in the final – before winning back-to-back Belgian Cups a decade later, during his second of three spells in charge.

Image 9 of 17

Maurizio Sarri (Napoli)

Being appointed manager of Napoli in 2015 must have been a dream come true for Maurizio Sarri, who had left banking to pursue a career in coaching some 25 years earlier.

In his final season as boss, 2017/18, Sarri led the Partenopei to second place in Serie A with 91 points – their highest total in the era of three points for a win.

Image 10 of 17

Johan Cruyff (Ajax)

Dutch football’s ultimate icon, Johan Cruyff’s association with Ajax as a player and manager lasted more than two decades.

The ‘Total Football’ mastermind swapped the pitch for the technical area in the mid-80s and won three major trophies in his first two campaigns in charge of the Amsterdam giants: two Dutch Cups and the Cup Winners’ Cup.

Image 11 of 17

Artur Jorge (Porto)

Artur Jorge only played for Porto briefly at the beginning of his career, but he went on to coach them to one of their greatest triumphs: the 1986/87 European Cup, with his side coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich in the final.

Jorge won the Portuguese title in each of his two spells at the helm, as well as the main domestic cup competition in the second.

Image 12 of 17

Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich’s best-ever player, two-time Ballon d’Or winner Franz Beckenbauer took the reins of the Bavarian giants for the first time in 1993 – having claimed major silverware in each of his previous two managerial roles: the 1990 World Cup with West Germany and the 1990/91 Ligue 1 title with Marseille.

That success continued at Bayern, who ‘Der Kaiser’ led to Bundesliga glory in his first stint and UEFA Cup success in his second.

Image 13 of 17

Luis Aragones (Atletico Madrid)

The man who kickstarted Spain’s period of dominance with victory at Euro 2008, Luis Aragones had previously had six stints as manager of Atletico Madrid – the club where he spent the majority of his playing days.

Having steered Atleti to the 1976/77 LaLiga title during the first of those six spells, Aragaones returned for the final time in 2001 – and guided them back to the top-flight as Segunda Division champions.

Image 14 of 17

Giovanni Trapattoni (Milan, Inter)

Renowned Italian tactician Giovanni Trapattoni is one of the greatest and most decorated gaffers in the history of the game.

Having spent almost his entire playing career with Milan – winning two Serie A titles and two European Cups in the 60s – ‘Il Trap’ had two stints managing the Rossoneri and one in charge of their bitter rivals, Inter. He didn’t pick up any silverware as boss of the former but guided the latter to 198/89 Serie A and 1990/91 UEFA Cup glory.

Image 15 of 17

Miguel Munoz (Real Madrid)

Miguel Munoz was Real Madrid’s first European Cup-winning captain, lifting the trophy three times overall. He then went and added a further two titles as manager of the club.

The ex-Spain midfielder had two spells in the Bernabeu dugout, also claiming the LaLiga title on no fewer than nine occasions between 1961 and 1972.

Image 16 of 17

Joe Fagan (Liverpool)

A humble man who devoted a large portion of his life to his local club, Joe Fagan managed Liverpool from 1983 to 1985 – having worked under both of his predecessors, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.

Credited with creating the legendary Anfield ‘Boot Room’ which produced four Reds managers (Paisley, Kenny Dalglish, Roy Evans and Fagan himself), the former Manchester City right-half oversaw a treble of First Division title, League Cup and European Cup in his first season at the helm – becoming the first English coach to win three major trophies in a single campaign.

Image 17 of 17

Valeriy Lobanovsyki (Dynamo Kyiv)

An immensely influential coach renowned for employing intense pressing, Valeriy Lobanovskyi played for and coached Dynamo Kyiv.

As manager, he led the Ukrainian giants to more than 20 pieces of major silverware over three spells – including the 1974/75 and 1985/86 Cup Winners’ Cups – in addition to reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup or Champions League on three occasions.