If the French coaches generally seem to have signed a non-aggression pact, abroad rivalries are often part of the show, and you will see that little Mourinho is in a lot of trouble. There are tensions in the villaaaaa.
1. Ronald Koeman and Louis van Gaal
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Logically, when two characterful big mouths meet, they don’t just exchange sweet nothings. A trend confirmed by the two Dutch coaches who had the opportunity to exchange a few pleasantries on several occasions. If their agreement was relatively cordial during their joint adventure at FC Barcelona from 1998 to 2000 – Koeman was then assistant coach of van Gaal – things got tough when they reunited at Ajax in 2004. Louis van Gaal then technical director of the club decided, against the advice of his compatriot, coach of the first team, to sell Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the last hours of the transfer window. An initiative that earned him to be fired from the club at the request of the former Dutch defender.
Recently, the Dutch press claimed that Ronald Koeman would replace Louis van Gaal as Netherlands coach in 2023, following Louis Van Gaal’s health problems (well, that’s not very funny and we hope that they are not going to beat themselves on the face for that).
2. Fabio Capello and Arrigo Sacchi
The rivalry between Fabio “hair” and Arrigo Sacchi, is more than just a different hair. It all started in 1987, when the divine bald man from Parma replaced his counterpart at the head of AC Milan. Despite the skepticism of the supporters on his arrival, Sacchi quickly imposed his methods and managed to restore the Bianconeri to their former glory, with in particular 2 consecutive victories in the European Cup of Champions Clubs in 1989 and 1990. 4 years later, Sacchi is in turn sacking: replaced by a certain Fabio Capello who will in turn win 4 scudetti in 5 seasons as well as a European Cup. A performance that his eternal rival will minimize by explaining publicly that Capello was only taking advantage of the work he had done before him. Not very nice, we agree.
3. Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson
During their respective careers, the two managers have had the opportunity to compete on the pitch, but also off it. And like English football at the time, tackles generally flew quite high, culminating in this 2009 press conference, during which the Reds coach charged his Mancunian counterpart, in particular about his eternal lamentations vis-à-vis the refereeing body. And as the Scotsman is reputed to hold a grudge, their rivalry has dogged them for a long time, with Alex Ferguson explaining for example in his autobiography that the Spaniard was the coach with the least imagination he had faced in his career and that he never was only good at defending and destroying the game rather than building it. A priori, Real Madrid fans would rather agree with his analysis.
4. Walter Mazzarri and Antonio Conte
Before meeting last season in the Premier League, the two Italian coaches first met in Serie A during the 2009-2010 season. At the time, Mazzarri was at the head of Napoli 6th who moved on the lawn of Atalata Bergamo trained by Antonio Conte. The visitors’ 2-0 victory provoked the anger of the local supporters until they came to rub shoulders with Antonio Conte who came to meet them. With 2 fingers that evening to come to blows, the future coach of the Blues is pushed towards the exit a few days later. In 2012, the two men met again. This time, the roles are reversed and it is Juventus de Conte who spanks Naples in the final of the Italian Super Cup (4-2). A defeat that Mazzarri will try to minimize, accusing his rival of having stolen his system with 3 defenders and of having beaten him only thanks to the financial power of the Turin club. Since then, these two have never spoken again, or even shook hands.
5. Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola
Mourinho and Guardiola have often been rivals with varying success for each. But beyond the result, there has always been a constant in their opposition: a cultural schism in their vision of football. A difference in style that the two men have never failed to underline, between the frenzied pragmatism of one and the obsessive quest for the beautiful game, of the other. The highlight was this memorable fight at the end of 2017 near the locker room after City’s victory over the Red Devils field. A skirmish led by a Mourinho upset by the demonstrations of joy of his opponents in the evening and which will end in the distribution of chestnuts before the holidays. This episode is ultimately quite representative of the posture of each of the two protagonists. Two modest fakes with exacerbated rivalry and a Mourinho in Calimero mode, who often prefers to seek the reasons for his bankruptcies in arbitration, rather than in the reluctance of his game plans.
6. Thierry Laurey and Pascal Dupraz
We hope you got your neck wet before moving on from Mourinho/Guardiola to what follows. In 2017, Strasbourg won 2-1 against Toulouse, with a more than generous penalty if we are to believe the always very measured Savoyard coach. At the final whistle, the tone rises as the 2 technicians join the locker room and Thierry Laurey begins to whine near the man in black. “Are you complaining? » then ironically Pascal Dupraz, instantly triggering the response of the Alsatian coach “Don’t break my balls I tell you, okay. Shut your mouth ! (…) Let him not come and get me, it will end badly”. The Ligue 1 we love.
7. Louis van Gaal and Johan Cruyff
If we trust the explanations of Louis van Gaal in his biography, their rivalry was born one evening in December 1989. Invited to dinner at the triple Ballon d’Or, van Gaal left the premises in a hurry when he learned by telephone of the death of his sister. , without thinking of thanking his host. An oversight that the Flying Dutchman would have kept stuck in his throat for a long time. Sportingly, Johan Cruyff would have especially badly experienced the success of his compatriot at the head of Ajax, his second home, then at Barca, just 18 months after his departure as coach. A war of egos that will end in court in 2012, when Johan Cruyff canceled the arrival of his rival as General Manager of Ajax, on the pretext that he had not been consulted during the decision-making.
8. Domenico di Carlo and Silvio Baldini
These two only met once in 2007, but the episode left its mark. On the posterior of the Parma coach first, after Silvio Baldini kicked his buttocks in the first sense of the term, with a well placed kick. Then, in the portfolio of the coach of Catania who was condemned by the Italian justice to a fine of 15,000 € (and to 1 month of suspension). All this, for a few bird names exchanged at the edge of the field and a gesture of humor that we usually only see in the playground. Proof once again that the Italians don’t just speak with their hands.
9. Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger
“I will find him one day off the field and beat him up” the Lusitanian coach would have said one day when speaking of his counterpart. It all started in 2004, Mourinho arrived at Chelsea and deprived Arsenal of a second consecutive league title. All season, the two rivals have been torn apart by the press. Wenger calls Mourinho “deranged, disrespectful and stupid”, when the Blues coach calls the Frenchman a “voyeur, who likes to watch others”when he does not recall his performance at half mast “Did you know that Arsène WengVer only has 50% of victories in the English championship?”. It is the mad love between the two men, which culminates in this household scene that has become cult in October 2014, during Chelsea’s 2-0 victory against Arsenal.
10. Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho
No need to be English to be inhabited by the fighting spirit. Antonio Conte and José Mourinho may be reputable defensive coaches, but off the field, any opportunity is good to attack his rival. For Mourinho, Conte is a clown, a madman who gesticulates unnecessarily during matches, and while he admits having made mistakes himself, recalls that unlike the Italian, he has never been suspended for match-fixing (the former coach of Siena in 2011 had been prosecuted for sports fraud for not having denounced acts of corruption. The investigation had resulted in a release). For his part, the Manager of the Blues accuses the Mancunian of having senile dementia, blaming others for what he himself was doing a few seasons ago. Before adding that Mourinho’s past behavior, especially towards Ranieri (note, he made fun of his accent in particular, before supporting him publicly during his dismissal) made him, “a tiny little man whose sole purpose is to offend and insult”. The reunion at Old Trafford on February 25 promises to be lively.
11. Pascal Dupraz and Antoine Kombouare
It was in 2017 that the rivalry and tension between the two coaches particularly exploded. During a Guingamp – Toulouse meeting in Ligue 1, under tension after the defeat of his club (2-1) and the Breton victory, the Toulousain coach Antoine Kombouaré freaks out against his rival and begins to insult him.
He challenges her by shouting at her ” Why are you talking to me ? », « it is to me that you are talking », but the two men are finally separated by the referee. Later, Antoine Kombouaré declared on Canal + Sport: “When we have problems in a match, we go to the referee, and I hate people talking to me. We explain ourselves in an office in these cases, I don’t need to do that in front of everyone. I ask for respect, that’s all. » A little pissed off the guy.
12. Parddew and Wenger (again and always Wenger…)
Parddew and Wenger have been together for (too) many years because (or thanks) to the Premier League, and as you can imagine their relationship is rather cold, anyway Wenger does not get along with anyone. They almost fought in an Arsenal-West Ham meeting in 2006 and were separated by the 4th referee. Indeed, Wenger had judged that Pardew was celebrating his team’s goal too much. Apparently today their relationship is better. We are very happy for them.
13. Roberto Mancini and David Moyes
Another clash between two Premier League coaches (decidedly). In 2010, during a meeting between Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City and David Moyes’ Everton, Mancini could not contain his anger and frustration.
His team was losing 2-0 and Mancini couldn’t contain himself against Moyes, which led to the clash. Obviously he was condemned by the English league for this act and received a fine of 20,000 pounds. That will teach him.
14. Mourinho (yes yes, always the same) and Tito Vilanova
We end this top with our very dear Mourinho, because… how else? This time, Mourinho really went too far: he put a finger in the eye of the FC Barcelona coach. It was in 2011 during the Real-Madrid vs Barcelona match in the Spanish Super Cup final.
As the end of the match approached and Real was trailing 3-2, Mourinho approached the opposing coach and committed this gesture still misunderstood today (really no one picked up). Mourinho will be suspended for two games, and Vilanova for one game, for admitting provocative behavior. There’s no smoke without fire as they say.