2026-01-17 12:30:59
Sir Gareth Southgate says that football managers’ authority is being “eroded” by the modern structure of clubs.
The former England boss believes that the power of the coach is reduced due to the increased presence of football, technical and sporting directors as he assessed the departures of Enzo Maresca, Ruben Amorim and Xabi Alonso from Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid respectively this month.
Southgate wrote on LinkedIn: “The erosion of a manager’s authority has been a gradual process over many years.
“It has accelerated with the widespread introduction of football, technical, or sporting directors, who now oversee long-term football strategy, report directly to CEOs or owners (or both), and sit structurally above the head coach.
“Personally, I have no issue with this evolution.
“Strategy, culture, planning and continuity are critical to success in any organisation – and a football club is no different.”
Some outsiders believe that head coaches have a lighter workload than the traditional manager, but Southgate argues otherwise.
The coach – who led England to consecutive Euros finals – said: “The complexity of managing modern-day players (many of whom are effectively individual brands), alongside the financial stakes for clubs and the relentless scrutiny of both traditional and social media, and you have a significant melting pot of problems and pressure.”
Southgate added: “My belief is that we should embrace a modernised version of the traditional manager, where we recognise the people they lead, manage and coach.
“As I once said to my bosses at England: players are not magnets on a tactics board that can simply be moved around.
“They are human beings. And managing that reality is at the heart of modern football.”
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