ImagesPA; Getty Images74
TINA THEUNE
When it comes to the top
female coaches in Europe,
Tina Theune was simply the best.
The first woman in Germany to acquire the
DFB’s elite coaching licence, she led her
nation to three European Championship
triumphs on the spin in 1997, 2001 and
- The pinnacle came in 2003, however,
when her Nationalelf were crowned world
champions by defeating hosts USA 3-0, then
edging out Sweden with a golden goal in the
final. Better than anyone.
75
WALTER SMITH
While friend Alex Ferguson
turned Manchester red in
the ’90s, Smith ensured that blue
was the colour in Glasgow. The Lanark man
made Rangers the dominant force in
Scotland mixing homegrown heroes with
international idols, enticing the likes of Basile
Boli, Gennaro Gattuso, Brian Laudrup and
Paul Gascoigne in his first Ibrox spell. Over
two stints, Smith won 21 major trophies and
is behind only stalwart Bill Struth as Rangers’
most successful coach.
73
DIDIER DESCHAMPS
Eric Cantona once gave Deschamps
the disparaging moniker of ‘water
carrier’, which stuck even after he’d hoisted
world and European trophies for France. As a
manager, he’s upheld that success.
Following Coupe de la Ligue joy with
Monaco, the Bayonne native led them to
the 2004 Champions League final; then, in
2010, directed Marseille’s most recent
Ligue 1 triumph. His crowning glory came
last: in 2018, becoming only the third man
to win the World Cup as both a player
and manager.
72
DETTMAR CRAMER
A global ambassador of
football, German Cramer
coached in more than 90 nations
around the world – notably in Japan, where
he helped an inexperienced national team
secure Olympic bronze in 1968. “I never
smiled, I had a foul temper – but they taught
me patience,” he said of his spell, later
honoured by Emperor Hirohito. Nicknamed
‘The Professor’ by Franz Beckenbauer over his
tactical fixation, Cramer returned home to
win back-to-back European Cups with
Bayern Munich in 1975 and 1976.
Before the league titles, cup runs and
many trips to Wembley, Howard Kendall
was on the brink of being sacked at
Everton. The era of a bright young
manager with fresh ideas could have been
over when he was just 37.
Had it not been for two Adrian Heath goals
in the 1983-84 League Cup run, the Goodison
Park history books wouldn’t have remembered
him as the Toffees’ most decorated manager
of all time. Two First Division titles – as well as
major FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup
triumphs – inside four famous mid-80s years
surpassed the achievements of Everton great
Harry Catterick.
But it could have been so different. In
1983, attendances at Goodison were falling,
the red rabble across Stanley Park were
dominating at home and in Europe, and four
wins from the opening 12 games had left
Kendall fighting for his job. But then came
the week when things started to turn.
Having been thumped 3-0 by Liverpool in the
Merseyside derby three days earlier, just
9,080 supporters turned up to see Everton’s
League Cup third round tie at home to
Coventry – and watched as the Toffees went
in 1-0 down at half-time.
Kendall brought on Peter Reid, though, and
two late goals from Heath and Graeme
Sharp eventually secured a 2-1 victory. In
the same week, Kendall signed Scotland
frontman Andy Gray from Wolves, then
promoted his former midfield partner Colin
Harvey from the reserve side to be his coachand assistant. From there, Everton’s fortunes
began to change.
Two months on, with the Toffees trailing to
Oxford in the last eight, little-known
defender Kevin Brock earned an unwanted
place in the Blues’ folklore when Heath sped
onto his short backpass to force a replay that
Kendall’s men won 4-1. They made it all the
way to the final, losing in a replay to
Liverpool, but returned to Wembley in May
and clinched the club’s fourth FA Cup by
beating Watford.
Kendall, with Harvey’s assistance, had
made his mark at Goodison using a mixture
of rising stars and experienced signings who
would kick off a period of blue brilliance on
Merseyside. In 1984-85, they were on for a
remarkable treble, having beaten Liverpool
to the league title by 13 points and Rapid
Vienna in the European Cup Winners’ Cup
final. But Everton were tired by the time they
returned from Rotterdam to face Manchester
United in the FA Cup final and lost to Norman
Whiteside’s stunner.
Everton won the First Division again in 1987
before Kendall left for Athletic Bilbao, by then
having established a legacy and comfortably
upgraded his own status to legendary.
“Howard gave the younger players as
much respect as the older ones,” said
captain Kevin Ratcliffe. “He treated us
like adults. There was competition in the
squad, but not individuals against
individuals.” Together, they created Everton’s
golden era.7 1 HOWARD KEn DALL
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