- Jan 17, 2008
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Has there actually EVER been a success story of someone without any managerial experience at all taking over a big club? The only person I can think of is Cruyff who took over at Ajax right after he retired and he was a generation-defending, one of a kind phenomenon. He also had the majority of his success at his second job at Barcelona anyway.He didn't come from a non-football background. His father was coach of Setubal, his mother was a teacher too, so he has been in and around football and education his whole life. The point isn't that anyway, it's that he exposed himself to management with a club where he could put himself to the test, without the intense pressures like at a bigger club. This allowed him more control and space to get things wrong.
Brendan Rodgers did the same.
Poch did the same.
Arteta's appointment is more akin to Gattuso or Seedorf. Zero managerial experience. It's vastly different to management.
I'd also argue Mourinho was exposed to management before coaching. That's a big advantage in these situations.
Obviously you also have Zidane and Guardiola but they both at least had experience of managing their respective B teams and inherited two of the best squads in living memory.