80
SEPP HERBERGER
Leading West Germany to
1954 World Cup glory over
overwhelming favourites Hungary
remains Herberger’s defining success, which
came after he had identified that the Mighty
Magyars weren’t so mighty out wide. It was
more than a trophy, however, for a post-war
nation looking to reinvent itself. As an
ex-Nazi party member himself, Herberger –
in charge from 1936-64 – was among those
desperate to forget his part in the
propaganda machine.
78
LEO BEENHAKKER
Beenhakker was 23 in his
first job at SV Epe – and
suffered relegation in his debut
season. But this brash young boss would go
on to manage Real Madrid twice and win
three consecutive La Liga titles, and lift the
Eredivisie three times with two different
clubs (Ajax and Feyenoord). Later, the
Dutchman – who took charge of 19 sides
over 44 years – led Trinidad and Tobago to
their only World Cup in 2006, then guided
Poland to their first Euros in 2008.
7 7
MARCELO BIELSA
Aged 25, Bielsa scouted
3,000 amateurs for his
university squad of 20 – it would
become the hallmark of El Loco’s career. His
scientific levels of analysis have astonished,
inspired and often bemused players for three
decades, leading to many of them – not
least Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino and
Diego Simeone – citing him as their biggest
influence. Bielsa’s attack-minded approach
has excited, enthralled and probably
changed football. His success should be
measured beyond trophies.
79
ENZO BEARZOT
Few managers have struck a balance
between pragmatism and panache
like Bearzot achieved during the 19 70s and
’80s. His Italy side popularised a daring, fluid
4-3-3 that bamboozled defences, yet their
ability to stifle opponents was borne from a
tight team ethic. As a result, he moved the
Azzurri away from catenaccio and won the
1982 World Cup via Paolo Rossi’s boots. “He
was like a father to me,” Rossi said upon
Bearzot’s death. “Without him, I would never
have achieved what I did.”
Arsene Wenger: 22 years. Alex Ferguson:
27 years. Guy Roux? A mind-boggling
41 years.
That’s how long the Frenchman led
Auxerre across three spells – including an
astonishing interrupted era at the Stade
Abbe-Deschamps between 1964 and 2000.
Auxerre – a town with a population of just
35,000 – were languishing in the fourth tier of
French football in 1961, when a friendly with
the humble Crewe Alexandra changed their
history. A former Auxerre player who’d
moved up the leagues with Limoges, 22-year-
old Roux stopped by to watch the game;
when injuries left Crewe short of players for
the second half, he volunteered to line up for
the English side. Auxerre asked if he’d be
interested in rejoining his old team, and Roux
requested that he be player-coach. While
initially reluctant to give the job to someone
so young, they eventually hired the midfielder- simply because he was the cheapest option.
After an encouraging first season in
charge, Roux had to depart for military
service. Auxerre nearly got relegated before
his return in 1964, when he promptly
transformed their fortunes. By 1980, they
had been promoted three times and
reached the top tier, having already made
the Coupe de France final as a second
division club in 1979.
If it all sounds very Eddie Howe so far,
Roux wasn’t done: Auxerre went about
establishing themselves as one of the best
sides in France – a status they would retain
for more than two decades – and qualified
for Europe 15 times under their long-serving
boss. They beat Ajax in the quarter-finals of
the 1992-93 UEFA Cup, then won the Coupe
de France a year later for their first major
trophy. In 1996, a stellar side featuring
Laurent Blanc remarkably secured the
league and cup double.
Roux’s role slowly transformed over time.
In the early days, he would personally
persuade local farmers to give him goat
manure for the club’s pitches. As Auxerre
grew, he enabled the growth of a youth
system that produced Eric Cantona and
Djibril Cisse. By the time the team had some
stars in their midst, he maintained discipline
by looking for players at nightclubs, even
padlocking Basile Boli’s moped to prevent the
defender going too far after dark.
Roux initially retired in 2000, but was
close to returning with Bayer Leverkusen
in 2001 when Auxerre asked him to go
back. The Bundesliga side hired Klaus
Toppmoller instead.
His final four-year spell with AJA resulted
in two more Coupe de France successes, and
he bowed out on a high at the Stade de
France in 2005, aged 66. He made a brief
and ill-judged comeback at Lens in 2007, but
lasted just 81 days before resigning after
difficulties adapting to life in northern France.
His iconic status remains, though, and will
for longer than even his Auxerre career. In
France, early versions of Championship
Manager were rebranded as ‘Guy Roux
Manager’. He was the example for everyone
else to follow.76 GUY ROUX
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