Managers who managed rivals

Roberto di Matteo and Owen Coyle have both taken charge of clubs this week after previously managing their rivals.

Di Matteo has been appointed as Aston Villa boss, having managed West Brom from 2009-2011, while previous Burnley and Bolton manager Owen Coyle is now leading Lancashire rivals Blackburn – a move that was met with protests from some fans.

The duo are not the first managers to switch allegiances, but who else has left a club to manage their rivals? We take a look at some of the most memorable…

Sam Allardyce (Newcastle and Sunderland)

Having had a brief spell as a Sunderland player, Allardyce had an even briefer spell as Newcastle manager, taking charge in May 2007 and lasting just half a season before he was sacked.

He returned to Sunderland in October 2015, becoming the first man to have managed the Tyne-Wear rivals. In just his second game he guided the Black Cats to a 3-0 win over Newcastle, before leading them to Premier League survival, at the expensive of the Magpies.

George Graham (Arsenal and Tottenham)

After making more than 200 appearances as a player for Arsenal, Graham enhanced his reputation at the club over a nine-year spell as manager, winning two league titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Cup Winners Cup.

But things turned sour when Graham was sacked after allegedly accepting an illegal payment from an agent. Following a ban, he managed Leeds before taking over at Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham, where he won the League Cup in 1999.

After three years at White Hart Lane, Graham departed within a month of Daniel Levy taking over as chairman.

Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth and Southampton)

“Gobsmacked is too small a word. You don’t even get a plot like this in Star Wars.”

Those were the words of Southampton director Andrew Cowan after Harry …

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