Instances of sporting nepotism

It’s too early to tell the wisdom of the selection but, as seen this week with Zinedine and Enzo Zidane, it always feels a bit icky when a famous coach picks his kid. The Real Madrid manager this week selected his son for his side’s Copa del Rey clash with third- tier Cultural Leonesa and Enzo, on debut, rewarded his father’s faith by scoring in a 6- 1 rout. Whether it’s the start of something is unknown — as is whether Zidane eventually picks his other son, Luca, a 17- year- old goalkeeper currently with Real Madrid’s youth team. But if Enzo or Luca fail to live up to their famous name, hopefully Zidane avoids the notorious example set by the following men. . .

Even one of the greatest ever managers made the occasional error in judgment — none more obvious than the continuing selection of his son. Darren Ferguson was afforded four years at Manchester United and, in 1993, lucked his way into a Premier League winner’s medal, before eventually finding his home in the third and fourth tier of English football with Wrexham.

The Detroit Lions head coach raised eyebrows in 2007 when he hired son- in- law Joe Barry to be the team’s defensive coordinator. The move did not work out well and, with the Lions mired in mediocrity, local reporter Rob Parker famously asked Marinelli at a press conference, “Do you ever wish your daughter married a better defensive coordinator?”

Tony Pulis is a good coach — and a great father. When Pulis was at Portsmouth, he signed son Anthony as a trainee. Pulis senior then took junior with him to Stoke and, when Tony was sacked and joined Plymouth, Anthony went on loan to Plymouth. Both men eventually returned to Stoke where the coach handed the player a new contract, by which point Anthony had racked up two league appearances in four years.