Individuals Who Have Won the Same Trophy as a Player and Manager

Frank Lampard, Mikel Arteta
Arteta and Lampard have both won the FA Cup as players | Getty Images/Getty Images

Arsenal take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday afternoon – a competition in which both of the two competing clubs and managers have a proud history.

Mikel Arteta and Frank Lampard both enjoyed considerable success in the FA Cup as players, with the former tasting victory at Wembley on two occasions, and the latter hoisting the famous trophy aloft four times.

With victory on Saturday, one of Arteta or Lampard will join a select group of individuals who have won the same trophy as both a player and a manager. Let’s take a look at the current members of this elite club.

Alf RamseyAlf Ramsey
Ramsey kickstarted his managerial career at Ipswich | Express/Getty Images

Sir Alf is probably better known for that thing he won with England back in 1966, but he enjoyed a stellar club managerial career before landing the top job in 1963.

Ramsey spent his playing days with Southampton and Tottenham, winning the First Division with the latter in 1950/51.

It’s no secret that the most successful England managers are bred at Ipswich Town, and that’s where Ramsey started his career in the dugout. He led the Tractor Boys from the third tier to a remarkable First Division title in 1961/62 before going on to win the World Cup with England. History looks sure to repeat itself at Portman Road with Paul Lambert in 2020/21.

Bob PaisleyBob Paisley
Paisley spearheaded Liverpool’s dominance in the 70s and 80s | Getty Images/Getty Images

As all-time greats go, they don’t come much bigger than Bob Paisley on Merseyside.

Paisley played over 250 times for Liverpool, and hung up his boots with one First Division title during the 1946/47 season to show for his playing career.

He went five better as a manager. Paisley guided the Reds to six league titles between 1976 and 1983, as Liverpool dominated English football.

As a manager, he also lifted the European Cup three times and bagged a UEFA Cup. Greedy.

Dalglish got his hands on a fair few trophies throughout his careerDalglish got his hands on a fair few trophies throughout his career
Dalglish got his hands on a fair few trophies throughout his career | Getty Images/Getty Images

There are 33 years between Kenny Dalglish’s first domestic triumph in England – the First Division title in 1978/79 – and his last – the League Cup in 2012.

King Kenny won the lot with Liverpool as a player: five First Division titles, four League Cups, three European Cups and the FA Cup.

Dalglish won the first Division a further three times as a manager with the Reds – and once with Blackburn after the top flight had transformed into the Premier League – and he guided Liverpool to FA Cup glory twice. The Anfield icon was parachuted in once more in 2011, beating Cardiff on penalties in the 2012 League Cup final for his final honour with the club.

He also enjoyed success back in his native Scotland as both a player and manager, despite only being in temporary charge of Celtic for four months. Dalgish won the Scottish League Cup in 1975, and then again as a manager in 2000.

Howard KendallHoward Kendall
Kendall led Everton to the most successful spell in the club’s history | Fox Photos/Getty Images

Those just across Stanley Park have also enjoyed their fair share of success, with Howard Kendall the mastermind behind the most fruitful period in Everton’s history.

The midfielder won the First Division with the Toffees in 1969/70. He took the Goodison Park hot seat in 1981 initially as a player-manager – but only mustered four games as a player before formally hanging up his boots.

Kendall would go on to enjoy greater success in the dugout than he had on the pitch, winning the First Division title twice in the space of three seasons between 1985 and 1987.

George GrahamGeorge Graham
Graham enjoyed huge success in the Arsenal dugout | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

George Graham remains the last person to have won the league title in England as a player and manager.

Graham’s first piece of silverware came as a player with Chelsea, as he lifted the League Cup in 1965, before winning the league and cup double with Arsenal in 1971.

He won every domestic trophy as manager of Arsenal in the 80s and 90s, including the famous league title triumph over Liverpool on the final day of the 1988/89 season.

Johan Cruyff of BarcelonaJohan Cruyff of Barcelona
Cruyff was just as good in the dugout as on the football pitch | Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

Imagine being Johan Cruyff. Imagine being one of the most gifted, artistic, graceful footballers of your generation and winning the lot… and then doing it all over again as a manager.

The Dutch icon’s glittering career was bookended with spells in his native Holland – beginning with Ajax, before ending with Ajax again and finally Feyenoord. He was part of the glorious Ajax side that won three consecutive European Cups, and he lifted Holland’s domestic cup – the KNVB Cup – on five occasions with his boyhood club, and once with Feyernoord.

Sandwiched in between his success in his homeland was a five-year spell at Barcelona, where Cruyff won La Liga in 1973/74, and the Copa del Rey in 1978.

He returned to both Ajax and Barcelona as a manager, winning the KNVB Cup twice with the former. Although he never guided Ajax to league success as a manager, he made up for this in Spain, winning four La Liga titles, in addition to the Copa del Rey in 1990 and the European Cup in 1992. Not a bad career’s work.

Neil LennonNeil Lennon
Lennon has guided Celtic to domestic dominance | Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

On any list, the natural successor to Johan Cruyff is of course Neil Lennon.

Lennon didn’t play in Scotland until he was 29, but he has gone on to win 20 domestic honours there as a player and manager.

The Northern Irishman won five Scottish Premier League titles, four Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups with Celtic between 2000 and 2007.

Lennon has had two separate spells in the Celtic Park dugout, adding a further five Scottish titles to his trophy cabinet, in addition to three Scottish Cups, and the League Cup in 2019/20.

Roberto Di MatteoRoberto Di Matteo
Di Matteo has a proud history in the FA Cup | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Lampard will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Roberto Di Matteo on Saturday – the last Chelsea man to win the FA Cup as both a player and manager.

Di Matteo scored after just 42 seconds with an absolute belter as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final, and won the same competition three years later with the Blues.

The Italian guided Chelsea to FA Cup glory during his ridiculously successful spell as caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge, with his 2012 FA Cup victory slightly overshadowed by the small matter of their Champions League win.

Antonio ConteAntonio Conte
Conte kickstarted Juventus’ dominance in Serie A | Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Conte spent 13 glittering years as a player with Juventus, and after he began his managerial career it was always anticipated that he would return to lead the club.

Conte won five Serie A titles during his time as a player – four of which as a captain. He eventually returned in 2011, six years after departing Juventus.

The Italian guided Juventus to their first Serie A title in nine years during his first season in charge. He won three league titles on the bounce before leaving the club in 2014, and was the catalyst for the unprecedented decade of dominance that Juventus have since enjoyed.

Barcelona's Spanish coach Josep GuardiolBarcelona's Spanish coach Josep Guardiol
Guardiola won the Champions League twice with Barcelona | GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

As playing and managerial careers go, Pep Guardiola’s done alright for himself.

During his 11 years at Barcelona he won La Liga on six occasions, before returning to his boyhood club as a manager to win it a further three times.

Guardiola also tasted victory in the European Cup with Barcelona in 1997 – a competition he would win twice in the space of three years when in the hot seat at Camp Nou.

Zinedine ZidaneZinedine Zidane
Zidane won his second La Liga title in 2019/20 | Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Another generational talent, Zidane has actually won more honours at Real Madrid as a manager than he ever did as a player.

The Frenchman spent five years in the Spanish capital as a player, winning the Champions League in 2002 and La Liga in 2002/03.

Zidane has been in the Real Madrid hot seat for a little over three and a half years – over two separate spells – and has already guided the Spanish giants to two La Liga titles and a hat-trick of successive Champions League crowns.

You wouldn’t bet against him eventually completing his double honours list by winning the World Cup as France boss one day either.

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