While he won back-to-back Premier League trophies, he wasn’t able to take the team to the Champions League final. He had billions to spend; nevertheless, he didn’t match the success he had with Porto.
He left the club in September of 2007. Avram Grant replaced him as an interim coach, and he, without any experience, finally took Chelsea to the Champions League final. Jose Who?
Frank Rijkaard
In 2003, after being selected FC Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta named Frank Rijkaard as his head coach. Barcelona was a calamitous club at that point, and a tough place to work.
Despite having a slow start, Rijkaard was able to build the best team of the millennium. No team matches the game that Barcelona played in first three seasons under Frank Rijkaard. The quickness, and the happy way of playing made them "the greatest show on the pitch." He won back-to-back La Liga titles and the first Champions League title in 14 years later.
The next two years, the team killed itself. The egos and the lack of aggression and hunger destroyed them, and destroyed Rijkaard too. However, the game they showed and the way they got the job done must be remembered.
As we can see, coaching experience is something overrated in football. Absolutely it’s important, but not as much as many people think. These three head coaches showed that it’s possible to be successful early in a coaching career.
Definitely there are things, such as preparation or motivation, that are more important than experience.
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