Malky Mackay is among the most controversial Premier League managers…
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Former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has been left stunned by a series of startling revelations in recent days, that have called into question whether he will ever be able to work in football management again.
Mackay is facing further scrutiny this weekend, following fresh allegations about text messages he is claimed to have shared with Iain Moody while Cardiff manager. His actions have ruled him out of the running for the vacant Crystal Palace manager’s position.
CaughtOffside takes a look at ten controversial Premier League managers:
10) Neil Warnock (Sheffield United & QPR)
The fiery Neil Warnock first burst onto the Premier League scene with Sheffield United in 2006. Warnock claimed in his autobiography that minutes after their relegation the following year, actor and Blades fan Sean Bean burst into his office in a “foul-mouthed tirade”. Bean denied this, calling Warnock “bitter” and “hypocritical”.
9) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool & Chelsea)
Liverpool came close to a maiden Premier League title in 2009, but their season was overshadowed by Rafael Benitez’s outspoken criticism of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Experts suggested the Spaniard was “cracking” under the pressure of an ultimately unsuccessful title bid. He also proved an unpopular appointment at Chelsea in 2012.
8) Ron Atkinson (Aston Villa, Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday & Nottingham Forest)
In a 2007 interview, Pierre van Hooijdonk said he sometimes got the impression the side was managed by Rowan Atkinson while both men were at Nottingham Forest. In 2004, during his punditry career, Atkinson landed himself in hot water for a microphone gaffe, which inadvertently exposed his racist criticism of Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly.
7) Harry Redknapp (West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham & QPR)
In September 2006, Redknapp was shown on camera by BBC Panorama taking part in what appeared to be an interest in approaching a player illegally. In January 2010, Redknapp was charged with two counts of cheating the public revenue. The charge related to a £189,000 payment from Milan Mandaric to Redknapp via a bank account in Monaco. He was found not guilty.
6) Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
Mourinho has always endured a controversial reputation as a manager. His misdemeanors have included a Champions League tie between Chelsea and Barcelona in March 2005, when Mourinho accused referee Anders Frisk and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard of breaking FIFA rules by having a meeting at half–time. Later that year, Mourinho was fined £200,000 for his part in the meeting with then Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole – having been accused of ‘tapping up’ the player.
5) Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
The Manchester United icon calmed down somewhat in his latter years, but few will forget his infamous striking of David Beckham with a football boot, that left the soon-to-be Real Madrid midfielder with a cut over his eye. The infamous ‘Fergie Time’ claims also stuck with both him and the club throughout his career.
4) Paolo Di Canio (Sunderland)
After a promising start to his Sunderland career, the controversial Italian’s managerial career fell apart last season. After signing fourteen new players and selling experienced players such as Simon Mignolet, James McClean and Stéphane Sessègnon, Sunderland gained only a single point from five matches. Chief executive officer Margaret Byrne stated that Di Canio had been sacked due to his “brutal and vitriolic” criticism of the squad.
3) Joe Kinnear (Newcastle United)
In October 2008, after a controversial start to his tenure at Newcastle, he launched a verbal tirade at the Daily Mirror’s journalist Simon Bird. He swore 52 times in the interview with Bird and other members of the media. The club’s press officer tried to order the assembled journalists not to publish any extracts from the tirade, but Kinnear himself gave them permission to write up whatever they wanted.
2) Alan Pardew (West Ham United & Newcastle United)
Alan Pardew has collected an ominous list of controversies as a Premier League manager, including most recently the headbutting of Hull City player David Meyler. Earlier this year he was also accused of verbally abusing Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini. Pardew also had a dispute with Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, after he criticised Arsenal for failing to field an English player in their UEFA Champions League win against Real Madrid in 2006.
1) Malky Mackay (Cardiff City)
Former Cardiff boss Malky Mackay has been forced to deny that he is racist, sexist, homophobic or anti-Semitic despite admitting sending offensive text messages. In an interview with the BBC, Mackay claimed only three messages of thousands recovered had been sent by him.
“They are completely unacceptable, inappropriate, and for that I sincerely apologise,” said the 42-year-old Scot.
“I’m a leader of people and it shouldn’t have happened, but I’m a human being and I made a mistake.”
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