Skip to main content

The Only South American Winning Managers in Ligue 1

Image
By

 


Only a few South American managers have been able to win the French top tier in history.

Ligue 1 is one of the European top five leagues today. Despite its decline following the departure of their global stars such as Neymar Jr, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, it remains attractive to lure new stars to compete there. 

The most recent one is Georgia sensation, Kvicha Kvaratashelia who decided to leave Napoli and joined PSG in the transfer window or Argentine young star, Thiago Almada who signed for Lyon last January. Ligue 1’s reputation as the league which provides more chances for young players in the first team continue to be its main interests. 

The well-known foreign managers are also keen on plying their trade there. The likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Marcelo Bielsa, Thomas Tuchel, and currently Luis Enrique and Roberto De Zerbi are some of those top names from abroad who have signed for the Ligue 1 sides. 

Unfortunately, very few of them are from South America. The last Latino boss in charge of a French club was Jorge Sampaoli. Sadly, the former Chile and Argentina national team boss was relieved from his duties in Rennes last January, or only three months from his appointment.

In Ligue 1 history, the number of South American gaffers who thrived and snatched league titles is so low in contrast to French and European bosses. These three are the exceptional figures who did. Unsurprisingly, none of them is from Brazil.

Conrad Ross (Uruguay)

The Uruguayan boss was the first notable South American coach in French top flight history. He had a glorious stint in Sochaux in the 1930s as he delivered prestigious silverware, two league titles in 1935 and 1938 and French Cup in 1937. 

Ross initially was recruited as a player-manager in the 1934/35 season before fully working on the sideline from 1936 to 1939. His success with his previous club, Switzerland’s Urania Geneve Sport as he helped them reach Championship playoff in the 1931/32 season marked his potential as a manager. 

However, he did not continue his managerial career in Europe as World War II escalated. The former Portuguese man opted to return to South America in 1940 and took charge of his former club for a year. Ross spent his remaining career in Brazil with brief stints in Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, Guarani and America FC.

Luis Carniglia (Argentina)

The Argentine boss was famous for his spell in Madrid as he brought them to lift the European Cup trophy twice in 1958 and 1959, plus win La Liga 1958. Yet, before he wandered around Spain and Italy, Carniglia started off his remarkable career as a manager with OGC Nice. He was able to clinch the league title in his first season in charge in the1955/56 season. Unfortunately, his team’s form dipped in the following season leading to his departure to La Liga powerhouse. 

After spending most of his career in Italy with Fiorentina, AS Bari, AS Roma, AC Milan, Bologna and Juventus,with brief stint in Deportivo La Coruna and his home soil, San Lorenzo, the ex-striker returned to France one last time to be at the helm of Bordeaux in 1978. Carniglia failed to replicate his success with Nice there as his team only finished tenth in the standings. 

Apart from his impressive stint in Nice and Real Madrid, Carniglia only thrived in AS Roma, Fiorentina and Bologna. He led Giallorossi to snatch their first continental trophy, Fairs Cup 1961, the predecessor of UEFA Cup. The Argentine boss also guided La Viola and Rossoblu to finish second in 1960 and 1966. 

Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina)

The current USMNT boss is the last manager from CONMEBOL who won the French top tier league. Poch did it inhis second season in the 2021/22 with Lionel Messi,Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the squad. He also clinched the French Cup in 2021. 

The Argentine boss has yet really been successful in delivering silverware elsewhere. His best achievement was guiding Tottenham to advance to their first ever Champions League final in 2019 and finish second in the Premier League 2017. 

His last club was Chelsea in the 2023/24 season. He managed to steady the ship in Stamford Bridge and brought them to finish sixth. Unfortunately, his spell there was cut short as his contract was terminated on mutual consent. It was due to his disagreement with the club management on the transfer strategy for the upcoming season. 

Prior to taking charge of Spurs, the former defender was at the helm of Espanyol and Southampton. Their best finish during his tenure was only in the eighth place on the table. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 1970 FIFA World Cup: Shaping the Modern Game

By
  The 1970 FIFA World Cup can be considered the cornerstone of the modern World Cup. Many of the elements we now know in every four-year staging of the biggest football event were introduced at this edition of the World Cup. Mexico 1970 was the first World Cup held outside of Europe and South America. The CONCACAF country was selected as the host at the FIFA Congress in October 1964, beating out other candidates like Argentina. Various breakthroughs were made by FIFA to standardize the rules, allocate team spots per confederation, and globally promote the World Cup and football in general. The 1970 World Cup Fun Facts The 1970 Mexico World Cup had several interesting facts, especially regarding the new match regulations used for the first time. Here are the highlights from the first World Cup held in North America: Israel, Morocco, and El Salvador made their debuts. North Korea boycotted the qualifiers, refusing to play against Israel. Morocco only bro...
Post a Comment
Read more

2005 FIFA U20 World Cup: The Rise of Lionel Messi

By
  The 2005 U20 World Cup was, without question, Lionel Messi ’s stage. The Argentine wonderkid not only dazzled scouts, fans, teammates, and opponents alike, but also captivated the entire footballing world. It was the tournament that announced his arrival — and the rest, as they say, is history. *La Pulga* didn’t just win the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player; he also claimed the Golden Boot with six goals and two assists. Remarkably, he became one of only three Argentine players ever to clinch both individual honours at a single edition. What made Messi ’s triumph even more special was the manner in which Argentina captured their fifth title — through a rocky road reminiscent of their 2022 World Cup journey. After losing their opening game, José Pekerman’s side went on a six-match winning streak, with Messi scoring in every knockout round, right through to the final — just as he would do in Qatar 17 years later. Tournament Facts The 2005 U20 World Cup didn’t b...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Best Goalless Games in EURO, when both Goalies were Heroes

By
  A number of goalless games in EURO deserve better credit as they mark the top form of both goalkeepers. Goalless games are probably considered the dullest part of football. In every tournament or competition, there is bound to be one or more. Naturally, such matches never attract fans, as most would see how both sides missed shots on goals or spurned chances. However, the stalemate could also demonstrate how goalkeepers from both sides were in top form and almost equally denied the shots to keep the clean sheets. In short, some goalless games are not about the duels of forwards but the contests of the defenders on both ends of the backline, but the goalkeepers’ show. In EURO 2024, three games have resulted in a stalemate. Two of which are in the final games of Group C, when both clashes saw no goals at all. Yet, both England vs. Slovenia and Denmark vs. Serbia are not regarded as the best goalless games since both goalies’ saves were not dominant. Such matches are rare. Here ...
Post a Comment
Read more