Frank Lampard follows in a long line of legends to manage the club that made their legend – but not all have been successful
On July 4, Chelsea announced the return of Frank Lampard to Stamford Bridge as manager.
Following the exit of Maurizio Sarri, who led the Blues to the Europa League, they turned to the ex-England midfielder, who turned out 648 times for the clubs and scored 211 goals, becoming a hero of the fans.
His experience in the dugout may be limited to just one season in charge of Championship side Derby but he will at least have the complete loyalty of the supporters as he begins this new step in his career.
Here is a selection of other bosses who have returned to the sides where they forged their legends as players.
Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan)
One of the few coaches to win the European Cup as both a player and a coach, and a member of an even more select band to do so at the same club. Ancelotti spent five years playing with the San Siro side, where he won two Scudetti and two European Cups, but he made an even greater impression as a manager, taking charge of over 400 matches and securing, among a myriad of trophies, two Champions Leagues during a stint that lasted from 2001-09.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesFranz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
One of three men to have won the World Cup as a player and a coach, along with Mario Zagallo and Didier Deschamps, coaching West Germany was his first front-line coaching experience. He then spent a year with Marseille before returning home to Bayern Munich, where he had been such an icon as a player. He would spend only a few months in the FCB dugout but picked up the 1994 Bundesliga title and the 1996 UEFA Cup. He subsequently spent many years as club president.
Getty ImagesBilly Bremner (Leeds United)
A veteran of close to 600 league matches for the Elland Road side, Bremner is honoured by a statue outside of the ground and in 2013 was voted the greatest captain in the Football League’s history. As a manager, he spent three years in charge of Leeds between 1985-88, sandwiched by spells at Doncaster Rovers. He was tasked with leading the down-on-its luck club back to the First Division but was unable to do so and was ultimately sacked.
Getty ImagesAntonio Conte (Juventus)
While it might have eventually turned sour for Conte at Chelsea after he led them to the Premier League title in his first season, he was a complete success at Juventus, where he had spent 13 years as a player. He led them back to the top of the Italian game after the Calciopoli scandal, winning three successive Serie A titles before quitting to take the Italy job in 2014.