MICHAEL O’NEILL
The 50- year- old has been juggling the Northern Ireland and Stoke jobs for four months, but doesn’t want his national tenure to end without one more tournament. He’s far from the first gaffer to perform a balancing act, mind...
MICHAEL O’NEILL Northern Ireland & Stoke
O’neill has worked wonders since taking over as Northern Ireland boss
in December 2011, hauling them up from 87th to 36th in the FIFA rankings as well as to a first major tournament for 30 years, reaching the last 16 at Euro 2016. A new challenge as boss of Championship strugglers Stoke came calling in November 2019, however, leading O’neill into a ( temporary) dual role with both until the conclusion of this play- off campaign. It’s worked out fine so far, with the Portadown native dragging Stoke off the foot of the table. Now for this unfinished business...
MARK HUGHES
Wales & Southampton/ Everton/ Blackburn ( player)
Sparky is perfect pub quiz fodder. He turned out for Wales and Bayern
Munich on the same day in 1987, and he combined managing Wales with playing for a trio of Premier League clubs. He took the Wales job when he was still playing for Southampton, and stayed in it while swapping Saints for Everton and Everton for Blackburn. He was a temporary choice for Wales that ended up lasting five years, as they went close to Euro 2004, only to lose narrowly to Russia in the play- offs.
ALEX FERGUSON Scotland & Aberdeen
A late equaliser in a 1986 World Cup qualifier against Wales should have
been a moment of pure joy for Scottish football – instead, it’s one of its most tragic events. Manager Jock Stein, 62, suffered a heart attack at the end of the match as the Scots celebrated in Cardiff, and died later the same night. Assistant Alex Ferguson, juggling his Aberdeen job, took the reins and duly led Scotland to Mexico with a play- off victory over Australia. Fergie’s magic ran out as Scotland went out in the group stage with one point, but five months later he was at Old Trafford.
BILLY BINGHAM
Northern Ireland & Plymouth/ Linfield
As a player, Bingham grafted beyond the pitch. He arrived at Sunderland
in 1950 and his father insisted that he finish his apprenticeship in the local shipyards. As a manager, the Belfast native had the work rate to match, blending duties with Plymouth in 1968 with his first Northern Ireland spell. He needn’t have bothered: the Devon side went down to the Third Division and couldn’t get back up. He fared better in a season at Linfield, steering them to the 1970- 71 Irish title, and later took his country to consecutive World Cups.
KEISUKE HONDA
Cambodia & Botafogo ( player)
Most 33- year- old pros begin looking for ways to wind down. Not Honda,
who couples playing for Botafogo in Brazil with being general manager of the Cambodian national team over 10,000 miles away. The Japan legend headed for Rio de Janeiro in January ( via a public, failed Twitter plea to Manchester United) but has held the voluntary post since August 2018 alongside Argentine Felix Dalmas – the official head coach. The duo are currently overseeing a daunting 2022 World Cup campaign which featured a 14- 0 defeat to Iran in October. Gulp.
KEVIN KEEGAN England & Fulham
In September 1997, eight months after his stunning resignation from
Newcastle declared that he “no longer wishes to continue in management at this stage in his life”, Keegan arrived at second- tier Fulham as ‘ chief operating officer’. He’d taken over as manager by May ’ 98, though, and led the Cottagers to 1998- 99 title glory – but not before England appointed him in February ’ 99 on a four- game basis. “Kevin has made it clear that he wishes to complete his contract at Fulham,” said FA suit David Davies. In May, he got the gig for good.
RINUS MICHELS Netherlands & Barcelona
The man who gave Total Football to the world is forever associated with
three teams: Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands. Michels managed his country on four separate occasions. The first was in 1974, after the KNVB opted to reward Czech boss Frantisek Fadrhonc for World Cup qualification by, er, replacing him. Michels – Barça manager at the time, and until 1975 – won La Liga after taking the Dutch reins in March. His glorious Oranje side reached the World Cup final against hosts West Germany, but then went down 2- 1 in Munich. Total heartbreak.
FATIH TERIM Turkey & Galatasaray
Terim, 66, appears to be testing how many times he can get away with
managing Turkey and Galatasaray. The 2000 UEFA Cup- winning boss and Euro 2008 semi- finalist is now in his fourth Gala stint since 1996 after three spells managing his nation, stretching back to 1993. The pair represent seven of the 11 jobs in his career, and Terim managed both for a month in 2013. He failed to save Turkey’s ailing World Cup qualifying campaign, and then to make matters worse, Gala sacked him in the meantime. Still, how about another go?