Top 10 successful legends as both players and coaches

Legends in football not only excel as players, but also prove their class and influence when switching to coaching.

Franz Beckenbauer

The late Beckenbauer legend is one of only three people to have lifted the World Cup title as a player and later as a coach. After changing the landscape of football as a player, Beckenbauer turned his attention to the touchline and took West Germany to the 1986 World Cup final, before going one better and winning the title in 1990.

Carlo Ancelotti

One of the greatest coaches ever, Ancelotti has won four Champions League titles from the sidelines.

Helping Parma reach the top of Serie A in the 80s, Carlo had his big breakthrough with Roma and was eventually part of Arrigo Sacchi's legendary Milan squad of the late 80s and early 90s, which dominated Italian and European football.

Zinedine Zidane

The French legend had 2 periods leading Real, winning 2 La Liga championships and 3 Champions Leagues.

Didier Deschamps

Deschamps had a long playing career before finding success on the touchline with Les Bleus. A defensive midfielder of his time, he was known for his leadership qualities as well as his reading of the game and possession of the ball. Deschamps was a member of the Marseille squad that won the European Championship in 1993 - the only French team to date to win this tournament, and Beckenbauer is among the group of people who have won the World Cup in two positions.

Mario Zagallo

Zagallo was the first person to win the World Cup as a player and coach with Brazil.

Pep Guardiola

Pep may end his career as the greatest coach of all time, but young football fans may be surprised to learn that Guardiola had an illustrious career as a player. Pep is a product of the Barcelona academy and a key player in Johan Cruyff's dream team in the 1990s.

Johan Cruyff

Cruyff won the Ballon d'Or three times and revolutionized the sport with Ajax and Barcelona in the 1970s. He retired in 1984 and embarked on a truly exceptional coaching career, inspiring a coaching system, including Pep Guardiola.

Antonio Conte

Another midfielder who has made a smooth transition into coaching, the Italian has represented the Azzurri 20 times, finished runner-up in the World Cup and EURO, and made 295 appearances for Juventus and is a legend of the club. He has won 5 Scudettos, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 Champions League among many other titles.

Roberto Mancini

Few strikers have shined as elite coaches, but Mancini has made a habit of breaking the mold throughout his coaching career.

With more than 500 matches for Sampdoria during their heyday in the 80s and 90s, he retired in 2001 after winning 6 Coppa Italia and 2 Serie A titles. He later led Manchester City to their first Premier League title, is now in charge of the Saudi Arabian national team after lifting the EURO 2020 title with the Azzurri.

Diego Simeone

Simeone has led Atletico Madrid since 2011, being one of their longest-serving and most successful coaches, after spending an impressive career as a player with Argentina and many major European teams.