Antonio Conte has only been at Tottenham for a few months, yet reports suggest that the Italian manager is already open to quitting the north London side for a move to PSG.
Mauricio Pochettino is set to be sacked by the French giants, and the Spurs boss has reportedly put himself forward for the job, despite former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane being PSG’s favourite to replace the Argentine manager.
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Indeed, Conte switching from PSG to Tottenham so soon after joining would be an unimaginable betrayal from the former Inter Milan boss. And this at HITC Sport has got us thinking about five managers who have angered fanbases by moving to clubs after having so much success with a single team.
Billy Bonds – Millwall
Crossing the Millwall – West Ham divide is one thing, but doing so when you’re a club legend and will one day have a stand named after you is another, yet that’s what Irons hero Billy Bonds did in 1997.
A bonafide legend in east London with West Ham after spending 20 years with the club and making over 650 appearances, Millwall turned to Bonds to take over as manager in the late 90s, much to the anger of both Lions and Irons supporters, yet after just one season at the Den, the former defender was sacked after a disappointing season in the third-tier.
George Graham – Tottenham
Similar to Bonds, George Graham made a similar move when the legendary Arsenal player turned manager most famous for his league title win in 1989 was appointed at Tottenham just three years after departing the Gunners.
A tactician that brought ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ into Gooner folklore and ‘boring boring Arsenal’ into the consciousness of rival fans, Tottenham supporters were far from pleased that Graham had been appointed as manager.
Despite three years at Spurs and winning the 1999 League Cup, the Scottish coach was never accepted in the white half of north London, with his reputation dented in the red side, as well.
Harry Redknapp – Southampton
Very few managers can be branded a ‘Judas’ after moving to a rival club and then return to said team a year later and take them on their most successful period ever in the top-flight this century, yet that’s exactly what Harry Redknapp did with Portsmouth and after joining Southampton in 2004.
When the English manager was sacked by Pompey in November 2004, Redknapp was quickly appointed by the Saints just a few weeks later, much to the anger of Portsmouth supporters, who made their outrage very well-known with banners and T-shirts condemning their former boss.
There is a happy ending to this tale, though. With Redknapp unable to keep Southampton in the Premier League, the English coach returned to Fratton Park where he would manage to keep Portsmouth up the following season before winning the FA Cup in 2008, their first major honour since 1950.
Jose Mourinho – Tottenham
The first rule of any successful manager of a London-based football club is to never move to Tottenham, yet after Graham did the same in the 1990s, Jose Mourinho would repeat the same mistake over 20 years later.
The Portuguese manager replaced Pochettino in a frantic decision from Tottenham that now looks to have been a publicity stunt to attract more viewers to Amazon’s All or Nothing series, yet overall, appointing Mourinho was a car crash of a move.
A manager famed for winning silverware anywhere he goes, Mourinho failed to win a thing, and the former Chelsea coach, his reputation with the Blues now in utter tatters, was sacked just a few days before the League Cup final, which Tottenham lost under interim manager Ryan Mason.
Rafa Benitez – Everton
After winning the UEFA Champions League in the most dramatic circumstances and becoming a real hero for Liverpool, the last thing you should do is take over at Everton, which is exactly what Rafa Benitez did at the start of this season.
The Spanish manager, who has already coached at the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle United, was appointed by the Toffees last summer in a decision that angered many Liverpool supporters. However, Benitez’s work at the club would end causing more anger from Everton fans.
As we know, the Merseyside club are now stuck in a relegation battle for the first time in decades in large part to the mistakes Benitez made both on and off the pitch. And if Everton drop out of the Premier League, the Spanish coach could actually see his reputation with Liverpool fans increase, much to the anger of Toffee supporters.
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