Rúben Amorim is the latest coach to head from Portugal to England on a well-travelled route in recent years but, for a long time, it was popular going the other way. Sporting have had eight Englishmen, a Scot and a Welshman in the dugout over their history but the last of those was Bobby Robson in 1992.
Vic Buckingham, Fred Pentland and John Toshack ticked off most of Spain between them but now British coaches abroad are a rarity. The England men’s national team have recently appointed Thomas Tuchel, causing much consternation among certain factions who wonder why a homegrown solution could not be sought. One of the key issues is that no domestic manager can boast the experience of working and winning in different countries like the German, who has a willingness to travel.
Liam Rosenior and Will Still are the only Englishmen managing teams in the top five European leagues outside their homeland and, if we are being honest, apart from a passport, the invention of the computer game Football Manager and a spell working with Preston’s under-14s, Britain cannot claim much credit for Still’s progress. He was born in Belgium to English parents and educated at a French language school, Ligue 1 is his natural habitat. Finding others to follow Rosenior’s riskier path is where Britain is struggling.
“I think it’s great from a football experience and life experience to do it,” says Paul Clement, who worked as an assistant at Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich under Carlo Ancelotti before becoming head coach at Cercle Brugge. “The way things are with competition for the jobs and the attraction of the jobs in England, then you’ve got to widen the pool of employment opportunities.”
Graham Potter is often seen as the poster boy when it comes to leaving your comfort zone to educate yourself as a coach. The former Southampton defender took Östersund from the Swedish fourth division up through the leagues and into Europe. By moving to Scandinavia, Potter was afforded more time to hone his skills as a tactician and man-manager, helping him to create a philosophy and plan that was successfully implemented at Swansea and Brighton.
There is a vast amount of data available regardless of where in the world someone is employed; a coach’s success can be tracked and a body of work created. Often there are fewer games abroad, giving coaches more days on the training pitch with their players, allowing them more time to hone a style that is transferable to jobs throughout their career. Sporting directors are looking for evidence of progress under someone’s tutelage, as Potter demonstrated from a small town in Sweden.
Östersund manager Graham Potter is tossed by his players after their August 2017 victory over Paok Saloniki in their Europa League qualifying play-offs round second leg match. Photograph: Nils Petter Nilsson/Getty Images
It is perceived in Europe that British coaching has stagnated and remains in a football cocoon where the emphasis is on playing 4-4-2 and focus on getting crosses into the box. “I don’t remember ever having a conversation with anyone that said English coaches are really strong or good,” Clement says. “That’s not to say there aren’t good English coaches because absolutely there are. But in general, the reputation on the continent is not good for English coaches.”
Owners like to see evidence that a person has experience of dealing with a multitude of nationalities but language can be a barrier and endeavouring to learn a new one puts many off flying the nest. Terry Venables always had his trusted translator by his side at Barcelona and other clubs, such as Sparta Prague, have English as the first language on the training ground despite having no native speakers. When there is not a common tongue, however, learning how to get a message across without words is a useful tool and helps grow communication skills.
“The challenge of moving does scare some coaches, the issue with communication and getting out of your comfort zone. I’m so glad that I did it. Coaching in a second language is very challenging but beneficial,” Clement says. “I’ve worked in Spain, Germany, Belgium, England and France, building relationships with players has become better. Having had those experiences, sharing knowledge, sharing information, sharing experiences that you’ve had is definitely a positive thing.”
Brexit, admittedly, has made matters more problematic. Just ask Stockport’s Andy Mangan who was not allowed to join the coaching staff at Real Madrid although Borussia Dortmund have Alex Clapham and Aaron Danks is at Bayern Munich. It is imperative for those in the industry to find pathways to help coaches reach the continent amid the fallout from leaving the European Union or risk the isles becoming more isolated.
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Steve Bould is the head coach at the Belgian second-tier club Lommel, with the former England Under-18s manager Ryan Garry his assistant. They are both in the City Football Group framework that has helped Des Buckingham and Liam Manning thrive after spells in India and Belgium where they were exposed to different methodologies, lifestyles and circumstances. Neither enjoyed professional playing careers of note, starting coaching at relatively young ages, quickly heading abroad to test themselves and build impressive CVs.
Paul Clement issues instructions to his Cercle Brugge players during their January 2021 Pro League match against Club Brugge. Photograph: Orange Pics BV/Alamy
“I’ve got no hesitation to go abroad again and would actually relish that experience and want that experience again,” Clement says. “I don’t see myself as an English coach, I see myself as an international coach having had that experience.”
There is no singular defined path to the top – or even mediocrity – but it feels like Britain is being left behind. Where once coaches brought revolution to other countries, they are now playing catch-up. Badges and a pro licence will only get a person so far; sometimes they need to add risk in order to get reward.
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