Five managers who bossed club and country before Manolo Marquez

AIFF has appointed FC Goa boss Manolo Marquez as the head coach of the Indian men’s national team as the successor of Igor Stimac. The 55-year-old will take over the reigns of the Blue Tigers while also continuing his commitments to the Indian Super League club.

The Spaniard has previously managed Espanyol B and Las Palmas in Segunda Division and La Liga respectively. After his 16-year stint in various clubs in Spain, he moved to India through Croatia and Thailand.

Here Sportstar takes a look at five managers who bossed club and country.

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Rinus Michels (Barcelona and Netherlands)

Rinus Michels, regarded as one of football’s finest thinkers, moved to Barcelona after winning three European Cups with Ajax in 1971. Michels was later joined by Johan Cruyff. They won La Liga together in 1973/74, around the same time they expanded their show to the world stage.

Michels took over as manager of Netherlands in March 1974, right before the World Cup in West Germany, where the Oranje went all out. It advanced to the final against the hosts after defeating Argentina and defending champions Brazil. After the loss in the final, he immediately left the job for his last year at the Nou Camp. Michels later returned to the national team three more times, winning Euro 1988.

Guus Hiddink (PSV Eindhoven and Australia/Chelsea and Russia)

Dutch manager Guus has juggled the jobs well with Chelsea and Russia. Hiddink led Russia in 2006 and then managed the likes of Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko to the Euro semifinals in 2008. Hiddink was managing Russia for almost three years but in February 2009, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich called on him toreplace Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Dutchman lost only one game as Blues boss, taking them to the Champions League semifinal while winning the 2009 FA Cup.

This was not Hiddink’s first time working two jobs at once; in 2005 and 2006, he split his time between PSV Eindhoven and Australia. Shortly after becoming the most successful coach in the Eredivisie by winning his sixth title, the Socceroos approached him. He guided Australia to the World Cup finals for the first time in 32 years, reaching the knockout rounds in Germany before losing to eventual winners Italy.

Alex Ferguson (Aberdeen and Scotland)

Prior to his appointment as Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson managed Aberdeen and Scotland simultaneously. Ferguson was a member of the Scottish national team’s coaching staff during the qualification for the 1986 World Cup, but manager Jock Stein collapsed and died on September 10, 1985, at the end of the game that qualified Scotland from its group for a play-off against Australia. Ferguson quickly agreed to take control of the Scottish national team against Australia and then in the World Cup.

The Scottish legend had a tough time with the international side and failed to take his nation past the group stage in 1986 World Cup. Whilst managing both sides, he won the Scottish Cup in the 1985-96 season and also the League cup in the same season but failed to defend the league title. Ferguson has won 9 honours managing Aberdeen from 1978 to 1986.

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Leonid Slutsky (CSKA Moscow and Russia)

Fabio Capello was terminated in 2015, three years before his contract expired as the manager of Russia. Capello left after Russia’s poor record put them outside of the automatic qualification places for Euro 2016. Leonid Slutsky was appointed as the Russia boss.

Back then he was the CSKA Moscow manager. In August 2015 he was handed a temporary contract that would expire at the completion of the qualifying campaign. However, Slutsky spurred Russia to win the remaining qualifiers and get to the finals, allowing him to extend the dual-role arrangement. Meanwhile, he led CSKA to its third title in four years.