A look at the five fiercest managerial rivalries in football
Football rivalries are often not only related to players, fans and clubs but also managers. More often than not, we've seen managers and coaches from opposing camps lock horns with each other, on and off the field. Coaches often engage in feuds and share an intense rivalry with their counterparts. Here we list the fiercest managerial rivalries in football.
Ferguson and Wenger shared one of the fiercest rivalries
Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger shared one of the fiercest rivalries in Premier League football. Ferguson was at the top of his game, whereas, Wenger came in and won three Premier League trophies. Both the legends often went against each other with many strong comments. On the field, they clashed 49 times. Ferguson won 23, Wenger sealed 16 and 10 matches were drawn.
Wenger and Jose Mourinho were drawn into an intense rivalry
Jose Mourinho came to Chelsea after winning laurels at FC Porto. He wanted to prove himself in the Premier League and got off to a strong start by winning two successive titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Over time, Jose and Wenger never quite got along and lashed out at each other. However, Mourinho bossed the head-to-head show (W 10, D 2, L 7).
Mourinho and Pep's rivalry is well known
Mourinho shared an intense rivalry with Pep Guardiola. Both had some brilliant moments as managers when they faced each other with their respective clubs. Mourinho's Inter Milan downing Barcelona in 2009-10 was the spark. The rivalry extended in La Liga when Jose joined Real. And then the EPL too witnessed their rivalry. Pep leads the head-to-head show (W 11, D 6, L 5).
Jose Mourinho versus Antonio Conte a real deal
These two simply hate each other. The feud began when Mourinho lashed out at Conte for what he felt was an excessive celebration during Chelsea's 4-0 victory over United in 2016. In 2017-18, Jose teased Conte by saying he didn't need to behave like a "clown" on the touchline to demonstrate his passion. Conte hit back and claimed Jose was suffering from senile dementia.
Klopp and Guardiola's rivalry deserves a mention
Jurgen Klopp's rivalry with Pep started in the Bundesliga, when the German was managing Borussia Dortmund. He left Dortmund at the end of 2014-15. Pep joined Bayern Munich in 2013 and faced Klopp for two seasons. Their rivalry grew in prominence in the EPL and is into its fourth season. Klopp has a better head-to-head record against Pep (W 8, D 2, L 7).
