When a football player retires from actively playing on the pitch, they have two courses of action to take: they can either sit back and enjoy the sweet years of retirement, perhaps endorsing a brand or two for a few years, or return to the field in a different position – as a coach, or a team manager. Luckily, the players turned managers we list below have chosen the latter, turning their experience as players into results for the teams under their supervision.
None of the names below made it to Shoot!, one of the most played football slot machines at http://www.royalvegascasino.com/. It may not be a surprise, since Shoot! – the magazine on which the Royal Vegas has based its hit game – was an English football publication. This doesn’t make it a less valuable game for Royal Vegas players since it brings more than just wins to the table. It’s a walk down memory lane to the golden age of football, allowing Royal Vegas players to rediscover legends like Maradona, Pelé or even Beckenbauer. The players below might not have made it to the Shoot! slot machine – but we’re going to honour them with our short list below.
Here are the Italian players who have proven their worth both on and off the field…
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte started his career in his hometown of Lecce at the age of 16, in 1986. Under the helm of manager Carlo Mazzone, he became one of the most valuable players of his team. After a serious injury suffered in 1987, his football career nearly ended – fortunately, he wasn’t sidelined for good, returning to the field in 1988. After six years at Lecce, he was signed by Juventus manager Giovanni Trapattoni in 1991. He was a fan favorite, later becoming the team’s captain. He won several Serie A titles with Juve, along with several major European championships. He remained with the club until 2004, when he retired from active play – but he couldn’t stay away from football for a long time.
Conte managed several teams in the last decade: Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta, Siena, Juve (for three years between 2011 and 2014) and the Italian National Team. He is currently under a three-year contract with Premier League team Chelsea.
Fabio Capello
The 70-year-old pro has started his career as a player in 1964 at SPAL, where he spent three years before moving on to Roma. After three further years, and 62 appearances, he moved on to Juventus for six years, from where he transferred to Milan in 1976. He stayed with the team until being forced to retire in 1980.
He returned to the field in 1982, managing A.C. Milan Primavera – Milan’s U19 team. He took over the senior team in 1991, left it in 1996 for Real Madrid, and returned to it a year later. After being dismissed from the team, he took a break from coaching, only to return to the field as a manager for Roma. In the next few years, he managed several teams – Juventus (2004-2006), Real Madrid (2006-2007), England’s national team (2008-2012) and Russia’s national team (2012-2015).
Carlo Ancelotti
“Carletto” Ancelotti is regarded as one of the best – and most successful – managers of all time. Besides, he is the only manager to have won the UEFA Champions League three times (twice with Milan, once with Real Madrid). Ancelotti started his senior career at Parma, where he spent just three years before moving on to Roma. In 1987, he transferred to Milan, where he played until his retirement from active play in 1992. After a short break, he returned to the stadium, managing several Italian teams – Reggiana, Parma, Juve, and Milan – and foreign clubs – Chelsea (2009-2011), Paris Saint-Germain (2011-2013), and Real Madrid (2013-2015). He is currently the manager of Bayern Munich, where he replaced Pep Guardiola.
