EURO 2024 - From coffee sellers to advertising stars: the coaches of the European Championships
One wanted to open his own bar. Another took over the job of his father earlier. There are some interesting stories about the trainers of the Euro football championship.
Julian Nagelsmann (Germany) and Domenico Tedesco (Belgium):
Germany and Belgium may not face each other in this EM before the semifinals, but it's not the case that the two trainers have never met before. Nagelsmann and Tedesco attended the football coach training together in 2016. Tedesco graduated with a perfect score of 1.0 as the best of the year. They spent most of the training period together in the youth department of 1899 Hoffenheim: Nagelsmann coached the U19, Tedesco the U17. And in Hoffenheim, they say that Nagelsmann was always the joker, while Tedesco was quieter and focused on his papers.
Didier Deschamps (France):
In January, German football legend Franz Beckenbauer and Brazilian legend Mario Zagallo both passed away within a few days of each other. Only one of the three football legends who have won the World Cup as both players and coaches remains: the Frenchman Deschamps. "The deaths of the two, especially Beckenbauer's, deeply affected me," said the 55-year-old in an interview with "Sport Bild". Beckenbauer was once his coach in Marseille. To become a trainer and player European champion - only one has achieved that so far: Berti Vogts. Deschamps and the Dutchman Ronald Koeman can still match him at this EM.
Francesco Calzona (Slovakia):
Several Italian trainer careers have started in the field. Arrigo Sacchi once worked for his father's shoe factory before leading AC Milan to two European Cup wins. Calzona was a coffee vendor at 30. The Slovakian national coach wanted to open his own bar before his trainer career took off. He worked for a long time as an assistant to Maurizio Sarri and Italy's current national coach Luciano Spalletti for SSC Napoli. Ex-star Marek Hamsik facilitated his move to Slovakia. "Some customers still call me and ask for coffee," said Calzona.
Edward Iordanescu (Romania):
Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and his successful father are not the only family story of the EM. Romanian national coach Iordanescu also follows in the footsteps of a famous father at this tournament. Anghel Iordanescu was the coach of the "Golden Generation" that reached the quarterfinals at the 1994 World Cup. He trained the national team three times, most recently at the 2016 EM. His ambition "plus everything I learned from my father gave me the drive to become a coach," said the son. Edward Iordanescu is highly respected in Romania for having worked his way up from the third league.
Ralf Rangnick (Austria):
His love for English football is well-known. During his studies, Rangnick played for the amateur club FC Southwick. His role model, however, trained the EM team of a country that no longer exists: Valeriy Lobanovski led the USSR to the EM final in 1988 and also coached Dynamo Kiev. "We played against Viktoria Backnang with Southwick in 1984, and I was the player-coach on the field," Rangnick recalled. "After ten minutes, I stopped the game and counted the players. They played such intense pressing, as if they had at least two more players on the field." For Rangnick, this was a turning point.
Gareth Southgate (England):
His preference for English football is well-known. During his studies, Rangnick played for the amateur club FC Southwick. His role model, however, trained the EM team of a country that no longer exists: Valeriy Lobanovski led the USSR to the EM final in 1988 and also coached Dynamo Kiev. "We played against Viktoria Backnang with Southwick in 1984, and I was the player-coach on the field," Rangnick recalled. "After ten minutes, I stopped the game and counted the players. They played such intense pressing, as if they had at least two more players on the field." For Rangnick, this was a turning point.
Southgate, who is well-known for his preference for English football, also played for the amateur club FC Southwick during his studies. His role model was Valeriy Lobanovski, who led the USSR to the EM final in 1988 and also coached Dynamo Kiev. "We played against Viktoria Backnang with Southwick in 1984, and I was the player-coach on the field," Rangnick recalled. "After ten minutes, I stopped the game and counted the players. They played such intense pressing, as if they had at least two more players on the field." For Rangnick, this was a turning point.
Criticism of his team's performances? The allegation that he would play a tournament favorite like a newcomer to the EM? England's national coach Southgate has experienced this much worse. As a player, he missed the decisive penalty in the lost EM semifinal in 1996 against Germany. Back then, Southgate countered all the criticism with British humor: In a commercial for a pizza chain, he sat at the table with a bucket on his head and was ridiculed by his former teammates Pearce and Waddle, who had each missed a penalty for England in the WM semifinal in 1990.
- Ralf Rangnick attended the same football coach training as Julian Nagelsmann in 2016.
- Despite being from Austria, Rangnick has a strong affection for English football.
- Nagelsmann and Tedesco spent most of their training period together in the youth department of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Franz Beckenbauer coached Deschamps at Marseille before his passing.
- Deschamps is the only remaining football legend who has won the World Cup as both a player and a coach.
- Edward Iordanescu's ambition to become a coach was fueled by his father's achievements.
- Iordanescu worked as an assistant to Maurizio Sarri and Luciano Spalletti for SSC Napoli.
- Didier Deschamps and Ronald Koeman can both become European champions as a coach at EM 2022.
- Mario Zagallo, along with Franz Beckenbauer, passed away within a few days of each other.
- Hofeinheim's Domenico Tedesco was always the quiet and focused one during their training period.
- In Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann was known as the joker and the life of the party.
- Francesco Calzona worked as a coffee vendor before his trainer career took off.
- Calzona was highly respected in Romania due to his rise from the third league.
- Romania's national coach Iordanescu learned from his father's coaching style.
- Ralf Rangnick's encounter with the intense pressure of Viktoria Backnang's team was a turning point in his career.
