Didier Deschamps, who managed France during the FIFA World Cup held in North America, earned the moniker “Le General” while he was an active player. He participated in 103 A-international matches for the French national team and, as captain, led France to triumph at the 1998 World Cup, which took place in his native country. Two decades later, at the 2018 Russia World Cup, he once again raised the trophy as the coach of France.
Mohamed Ouahabi, the Moroccan trainer set to face France in the quarterfinals on July 10, leads a life completely opposite to that of the renowned Deschamps. Initially, he never had a professional football career. A Moroccan-Belgian national, his initial aspiration was to work as an educator, and he studied education at university. Later, he chose to pursue a career in football coaching, beginning his journey as a youth team coach at the age of 21—when many were at their peak as players.
Out of the eight quarterfinal coaches participating in the FIFA World Cup held in North America, five have led football careers that remained largely outside the “spotlight.” This group consists of Ouahabi, Rudi Garcia from Belgium, Luis de la Fuente from Spain, Thomas Tuchel from England, and Murat Yakın from Switzerland—none of whom ever played on a World Cup field.
Garcia, a coach originally from France who is based in Belgium, competed in the top tier of French football but had to retire at the age of 28 because of an injury. He never represented France at the international level. De la Fuente, the Spanish coach, and Tuchel, the English coach, both participated in youth national team competitions but did not have any experience with their respective senior national teams. Yakın, who earned 49 appearances for Switzerland, also did not get to fulfill his World Cup aspiration.
On the other hand, only three coaches—Deschamps, Ståle Solbakken from Norway, and Lionel Scaloni from Argentina—have participated in World Cup matches. Scaloni’s only involvement was during the 2006 Germany World Cup in the round of 16 game against Mexico.
The histories of the quarterfinal coaches highlight that “excellent players do not always turn into excellent coaches.” The ability to bring teams together and adapt strategies often plays a more significant role in a coach’s success than their previous recognition. Morocco’s Ouahabi, who has tied with strong teams such as Brazil and the Netherlands and has yet to suffer a loss, serves as a clear example. He guided the Morocco U-20 team to its first-ever U-20 World Cup title in Chile last year and assumed leadership of the senior squad just three months prior to the World Cup in March.
Tuchel, referred to as the “tournament expert,” guided Chelsea to a Champions League victory in 2021, and is recognized for his powerful leadership in managing teams. He confidently left out key players such as Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, and Trent Alexander-Arnold from the team, yet created a unified group through effective planning. Garcia also led Belgium to the quarterfinals by maintaining a secure defense and making smart changes during matches.
On the other hand, certain coaches who excelled as players have faced difficulties in their managerial roles. Fabio Cannavaro, who led Italy to victory in the 2006 Germany World Cup, experienced three straight group-stage defeats while coaching Uzbekistan. Ronald Koeman, a Dutch icon with 78 national team appearances, including nine World Cup participations, was also eliminated during the group stage as the Netherlands’ coach. Hong Myung-bo, who participated in four World Cups, similarly faced an embarrassing exit due to weak performances in the group stage.
Interestingly, none of the eight quarterfinal coaches were forwards. De la Fuente, Tuchel, and Yakın were defenders, whereas Deschamps, Garcia, and Solbakken mainly played as midfielders. Scaloni had a career in both defense and midfield, while Ouahabi never played professionally. This reflects the football world’s belief that forwards, who concentrate on scoring, may not possess the wider understanding required to excel as coaches.
jasdooit 
Leave a comment