5 Great Footballers Who Struggled as Managers as Thierry Henry Makes Coaching Comeback

When football stars retire, the next natural step for them is management. Considering most of them retire young, mostly in their mid-30s, they always need a career after that because money doesn't last forever.

Some get hired at their clubs as directors, while others try out punditry. Others who are obsessed with the game try their hand at coaching.

After completing their UEFA Pro Licence courses, retired footballers are free to work at any professional club in the world, especially Europe's top 5 leagues.

Taking up coaching as an ex-footballer does not guarantee success; in fact, it could turn nightmarish very quickly. Thierry Henry is back to coaching. He had a legendary career in football and won nearly everything.

Fascinating facts about the ten best managers who never played football

Football

The 46-year-old World Cup winner was recently appointed as the head coach of France's under-21 team. His stints as a coach haven't gone very well, and Sports Brief looks at other ex-players who struggled as managers.

Top 5 players who made awful managers

Honourable mentions: Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Glenn Hoddle, Hristo Stoichkov, Alan Shearer, Bobby Moore, Michael Laudrup, Sir Bobby Charlton, Ruud Gullit

5. Gary Neville

Neville played all his career with Manchester United, where he became one of the best right-backs in the world. He won plenty of titles and quickly became a successful pundit in England. His one and only coaching job was an absolute disaster. He was hired by Spanish side Valencia in December 2015 but was fired less than four months later. He left the club 14th in the league after three wins in 16 league matches, and his team suffered a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Barcelona in a Copa del Rey semi-final, per Optus Sport. He has stuck to punditry since then.

4. Paul Ince

Ince won plenty of trophies in his career and played for Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Wolves. He was fired by Reading in April in his latest job. Reading ended up getting relegated in the 2022/23 season. He has coached mostly in the second division, but the most games he's managed is 56. His seven managerial stints have not been great.

3. Lothar Matthaus

The German legend lifted the World Cup trophy in 1990, but his managerial career was dismal. He coached a range of clubs, including Partizan Belgrade, Atletico Paranaense and Red Bull Salzburg. The Bayern Munich legend also attempted two stints as an international coach, leading Hungary between 2004 and 2006 and Bulgaria from 2010 to 2011, but failed to qualify for either the 2006 World Cup or Euro 2012, respectively.

2. Thierry Henry

Henry is arguably one of the best players this century. He won everything in his club and international career. His coaching career was far from impressive. He cut his teeth as assistant manager of the Belgian national team, but his foray into club football was a nightmare. At Montreal Impact in the MLS, he managed just 29 games before leaving in February 2021. He is an established pundit nowadays.

1. Diego Maradona

The legendary Argentine sadly passed away in 2020, per BBC. His legacy as a top-five player is still intact. He led Argentina to the World Cup in 1986 and helped Napoli win Serie A in 1990. He had a few managerial stints, but the most high-profile one was with the Argentine national team. He took them to the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup, but they were hammered 4-0 by Germany. The former Barcelona star had other stints in the Middle East, Mexico and Argentina, but he truly never became a top coach.

Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Simeone, Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini, Xavi, and Mikel Arteta are some former players who've become successful managers.

Henry to coach France at 2024 Olympics

The 46-year-old former Arsenal striker replaces Sylvain Ripoll and returns to management after leaving his role as Belgium assistant following the 2022 World Cup.

Henry, who won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, has struggled to hit the same heights in coaching that he reached as a player.