Skip to main content

The Ex-Goalkeepers Turning Successful Managers Outside the Top Leagues

Image
By

 


Several notable former goalkeepers who thrive as managers from outside the European top leagues deserve recognition.

The goalkeeper position has often been underrated despite its crucial role in football defence, especially in the past. Goalies tend to be deemed less likely to succeed when they become managers.

Being a tactician demands the ability to read the game in their playing career. Thus, the best head coaches are normally the former midfielders or defenders. The likes of Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane, Jurgen Klopp, and Thomas Tuchel are the proven examples, as they all used to operate from the second line or backline and get involved in the attacking build-up.

However, it does not mean that former shot-stoppers is bound to fail in their managerial career. Some manage to shine as well when they are in the dugout. Julen Lopetegui, Nuno Santo, Dino Zoff, and Raymond Goethals are the popular examples. They have been frequently discussed due to their career in the major European top flights. Yet, they are not the only ones. Some others from outside the top leagues deserve the spotlight too. Here are those ex-goalkeepers turning remarkable managers you did not know:

Michael Preud'Homme

The current Standard Liege Sporting Director had a fairly successful managerial career. The former Belgian goalie in the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cup had won silverwares in every club he took charge of. He won the Belgian league title twice, one for Standard Liege in 2008 and one for Club Brugge in 2016. Preud-Homme also lifted a Belgian Cup trophy with Gent, and helped them finish second, their highest ever position in the club’s history.

His spells in the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia also left a good mark. Once again, the former Benfica key man between the sticks clinched the title: the Dutch KNVB Cup with Twente in 2011 and the Saudi top flight title with Al Shabab in 2012. His second spell in Liege as a head coach was fantastic too, as they clinched two other silverwares beside the league title, the Belgian Cup and the Super Cup, in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Preud’Homme is one of the living legend in Belgian football. He won the Lev Yashin Award, the accolade for the best goalkeeper in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and was part of Belgium’s squad while reaching UEFA EURO 1980 final.

Stanislav Cherchesov

The former Russian head coach was able to raise the profile of the Russian national team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His side surprisingly knocked out Spain to advance to the quarterfinals before losing to Croatia on penalties. That was Russia’s best form in World Cup history since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Previously, Russia always failed to progress from the group stage under a local manager in all major tournaments, in Euro 1992, 1996, 2004, and 2016 as well as in the 1994, 2002, and 2014 FIFA World Cup.Russia's greatest form on the international stage was at Euro 2008. At that time, Andre Arshavin and Co advanced to the semi-finals with the legendary Guus Hiddink at the helm of the team.

Cherchesov, who appeared once at the 1994 World Cup (against Cameroon) and twice in Euro 1996 (at the same time as Italy and the Czech Republic), left the post in Sbornaya after the delayed EURO 2020 in summer 2021. Alexander Golovin and Co. failed miserably in their campaign.

At the club level, he successfully brought Legia Warsaw to win the double titles, the league, and the Polish Cup in 2016. The former Spartak Moscow goalie also led Ferencvaros to clinch the Hungarian top-flight title consecutively in 2022 and 2023.

Rafael Dudamel

He was the ex-goalie in the 1990s and 2000s. The Venezuelan boss is one of the most underrated managers in South America today. Dudamel’s most important achievement was guiding the Venezuela U20 to reach the final in the 2017 U20 World Cup. Yangel Herrera and Co. only lost 1-0 in the final against England U20. In the previous year, he helped Venezuela knock out Uruguay at the group stage of the Copa America 2016 but suffered a heavy loss against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the last eight. At the club level, the former Atletico Mineiro and Mexico’s Nexaca boss finally won his first silverware, the Colombian top flight title with Deportivo Cali, in 2022.

Jorge Fossati

The current Peru national team boss was also a goalkeeper during his playing years. He earned three caps with the Uruguay national team back in the mid-1970s and mid-1980s. Fossati has won several notable silverwares at the club level, with one league title each for Penarol, the Ecuador’s LDU Quito, Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno, and most recently Peru’s Universitario de Deportes. The former La Celeste manager also snatched two continental titles with LDU Quito, the Recopa Sundamericana (or CONMEBOL’s Super Cup) and the Copa Sundamericana, which is equal to the Europa League in 2009. He also led Qatari side Al Sadd to win the AFC Champions League in 2011.

Ricardo LaVolpe

The former Mexico boss from 2002 to 2006 succeeded in leading El Sombrero to fourth place in the FIFA rankings in themid-2000s, their highest position in history. The Argentine manager also won the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, brought Mexico to the semifinals in the 2005 Confederations Cup, and reach the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup. At the club level, Argentina’s second shot-stopper in the 1978 World Cup guided Atlante to lift the 1993 MX League trophy.

Bruce Arena

The former USMNT boss is definitely one of the most successful ones from outside Europe. Arena spent most of his career in the home soil. He won the MLS Cup five times for DC United (twice) and LA Galaxy (three times), plus the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1998 with DC United. On the international stage, Arena led the USMNT to clinch the CONCACAF Gold Cup title twice and also guided Landon Donovan and Co. to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in his first spell. In his second stint, the former goalkeeper with one international cap won his third continental title but resigned soon after USA failed to seal a berth in the 2018 World Cup.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Football Films based on true Football Stories

By
  Football films based on true events are not as common as we might hope, but the few that exist certainly stand out as some of the best. Unlike American football or basketball films, football (or soccer, as it's called in the U.S.) hasn't gained the same level of popularity or production in Hollywood. That’s understandable, given the sport’s limited appeal in the U.S. historically. However, with the country set to co-host the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup next year, more football films should be produced to build the hype and capture the spirit of the world’s biggest sporting event. Football movies have the unique ability to explore stories on and off the pitch — from a fan's perspective to tales centred around players, managers, or even lesser-known supporting characters. The following list focuses solely on those based on true events, highlighting the personal conflicts, dressing room dynamics, and emotional journeys that define real football legends. As we enjoy...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Distinguished Final Specialists at the top level throughout history

By
  A number of legendary names have become final specialists at the top level throughout history, with very few players able to match such a record, even today. The 2025  FIFA CWC might have been over, but the final in East Rutherford left a remarkable note beyond just Chelsea’s stunning win over the UCL champions, PSG. The emergence of Cole Palmer as a new star for England might have been anticipated, yet his constant contribution in finals seems too obvious to deny. The former Manchester City man has become the new final specialist among football’s elite. His record of contributing in finals—either through goals or assists—continues to grow, and Palmer could potentially reach new heights to cement his status as the greatest final specialist in history. The Blues star’s contribution rate in finals is already at 75%, even higher than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and, most recently, Kylian Mbappe. Cole Palmer already made his mark during his time at the Etihad, scoring...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Most Daring Journeyman Managers in History

By
  Not many gaffers opt to roam around the world to become journeyman managers in their careers and gain fair success.  Being a football manager, just like any other profession, needs a challenge to push the limit in their career, be it for the silverware, more noble missions like developing football in the remote countries, or simply for an adventure. It is quite rare to find one recently and thrive, especially at the top level.  One of the few such figures is probably Jorge Jesus. The Portuguese boss has currently signed for the post in Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. It would be a challenge as well as an honour for him to lead Cristiano Ronaldo, something that he never had during his stints in Europe. Jesus mainly spent his career in his home soil and Turkey before venturing to South America and winning the prestigious title, Copa Libertadores 2019, with Flamengo. He is one of the few European gaffers who managed to do so. However, his experience in three contine...
Post a Comment
Read more