Real Madrid are arguably the biggest club in the world with the richest history, and in their esteemed past, Los Blancos have had four British managers.
With 13 European Cups – more than anyone else – playing for Real Madrid is considered to be the pinnacle of club football, and with the emergence of the ‘Galacticos’ this century, the biggest stars in the world almost always eye up a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid have had their collection of superstar managers too, with the likes of Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti gracing the dugout. And since the club’s first professional manager was appointed in 1910, four British coaches have been given the coveted role.
Here’s how they got on.
Arthur Johnson
A centre-forward in the very early days of Real Madrid’s existence, Arthur Johnson became the club’s first-ever manager in 1910 and held the role for 10 years. And it was he who encouraged the club to adopt its famous white kit, inspired by Egnlish club Corinthian FC.
Also the scorer of the first-ever goal in El Clasico, Johnson won five regional championships and the Copa del Rey as a manager to kick off over a century of success in the Spanish capital.
Originally born in Dublin, but when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, Johnson identified as English and worked for an engineering firm upon his move to Spain.
One of the pioneers of what football would become, Johnson helped transform the sport by writing out four principles for the game, and essentially invented the role of the manager, as someone who would organise the players into their formation.
Without Johnson’s principles, our ideas of tactics, coaching or the detailed planning which we see go into football now would likely be quite different.
Helping change football from a chaotic kickabout to a competitive sport that required thought, there is no doubt that Johnson is one of the greatest minds that the game has ever seen.
Robert Firth
Twelve years after the…
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