The Athletic FC Podcast (Feb 19, 2026)
Episode Theme: What is the hardest job in football?
Host: Ayo Akinwolere
Guests: Jack Pitt-Brooke, Thomas Hill-Lopez Manchero, Carl Anka
Episode Overview
In this episode, host Ayo Akinwolere and guest panelists explore a thorny question: With so many elite clubs potentially in the market for new managers this summer, what is truly the hardest job in football? The conversation weaves through managerial challenges at clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, AC Milan, and Chelsea, as well as international giants such as Brazil and England. The panelists consider expectations, historical weight, club politics, style of play, ownership dynamics, and the evolution of the "hardest" jobs in the sport.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Real Madrid – The Ultimate Coaching Cauldron
(02:24 - 04:56)
- Pressure Cooker Environment:
- Managing at Real Madrid means not only dealing with “a president upstairs who you know is known for being pretty fickle”, but also a restless fanbase, a stadium packed with history, and a squad of superstars (Thomas, 02:24).
- The role is “much more…ambassadorial” than a pure coaching job (Ayo, 03:09).
- Coaching Profile:
- Success often stems more from “soft skills and the ability to bring all those things together” than tactical innovation. Few cutting-edge coaches have survived Madrid’s unique ecosystem (Thomas, 03:26).
- Managing Egos:
- It is an outlier because managing “galactico power,” with big stars often being less flexible, demands a rare kind of manager: “The most successful Real Madrid managers…tend to already have won a Champions League somewhere else or have a deep playing history at Real Madrid” (Carl, 05:13).
- Not every manager can handle star players unwilling to track back—“The problem with Real Madrid is they nearly always have two players [like this]…trying to get those [types] to fit in is going to be next to impossible” (Carl, 08:33).
Historic Weight and Club DNA
(09:07 - 11:40)
- The Burden of Success:
- Clubs with “a lot of historical baggage”—like Madrid or Manchester United—are among the hardest to manage because “bigger clubs can just be a bit unwieldy” and are harder to turn around (Jack, 09:30).
- Madrid is unique for thriving “despite—or maybe because of—having a lot of this historical baggage” (Jack, 09:30).
- Relative Lack of Managerial Icons:
- “The coach really isn’t the most important person at Madrid…when you know that from the off, that makes your job even more difficult” (Thomas, 11:40).
Style of Play and Club Identity
(16:19 - 18:44)
- Fan Expectation vs. Reality:
- At Tottenham, Thomas Frank struggled “because what the fans expected wasn’t necessarily what they saw on the field…so when results started to go south, he had no credit in the bank” (Jack, 16:49).
- Manchester United’s “way” is less codified than clubs like Ajax or Barcelona; “it’s more folklore than let’s set a codified rule” (Carl, 20:46).
Financial Limitations & Churn – The Milan and Serie A Challenge
(21:32 - 25:28)
- “It’s very difficult being that level of club now because you can’t really build anything…a good young player gets picked off by a richer club quicker than ever before. So you’re always going to be quite transitory”—Milan’s style of play is often sacrificed for survival (Jack, 21:54).
- In Serie A, “the churn can be a good thing and a bad thing…if you churn well enough…you can have a good run,” but it hinders building consistent success, especially in Europe (Carl, 25:28).
Ownership Turbulence & Managerial Instability
(27:47 - 32:19)
- Chelsea’s Frequent Changes:
- “Chelsea have…changed managers really often. Now it’s kind of accepted that managers simply won’t get that long in the job” (Jack, 28:24).
- Even with instability, past strong player “dressing rooms” were key to continued success (Carl, 29:54).
- Unique Cases:
- Thomas Tuchel’s career is highlighted as a case study—he “falls out with those above him,” but given his employers (Dortmund amid chaos, PSG, Chelsea, Bayern), “he seems uniquely good-ish at managing upwards” (Carl, 29:54).
The Unique Grind of International Jobs
(34:03 - 36:23)
- For top managers like Ancelotti and Tuchel, international management is “a different dynamic, a different vibe”; the “slightly slower pace” and “building toward big tournaments” is attractive after surviving the club grind (Jack, 32:19).
- Brazil & England:
- Brazil’s coaching job is “so difficult” because expectations from over 210 million fans are unrelenting despite a less-talented crop than in past eras (Thomas, 34:47).
- The pressure is unique, with comparisons only to Argentina (Thomas, 34:47); expectations far exceed what is reasonable with the current player pool.
Memorable Quotes
-
On Real Madrid’s Unique Demands
“You're managing not just a president upstairs who you know is known for being pretty fickle, but a fan base who are fickle as well... and massive stars. I think that's the main thing, the galactico power that comes with managing Madrid.”
— Thomas, (02:24) -
On Manchester United’s Modern Dilemma
“It's one thing when you're in charge of these super clubs. I often describe them a bit like Formula One cars, where the slightest twitch or the slightest bubble can send you flying off track at 300 miles an hour.”
— Carl, (05:13) -
On Club Historical Baggage
"I think... being a really big, historic club can make life harder rather than easier... Bigger clubs can just be a bit unwieldy. It can just be a bit harder to turn the ship around."
— Jack, (09:30) -
On the Weight of the Brazil Job
“There's the pressure of 210 million people, as we say, as we just said there is, is huge and that's particularly concentrated in South America, of course.”
— Thomas, (40:28) -
On Spurs’ Managerial Paradox
"...If you're the Spurs manager, yes, there is an expectation of playing entertaining football, but also that doesn't necessarily link up with winning football..."
— Carl, (38:23) -
On Managerial Job Security
“The fact is it's so out of your control. Like you can't, you know, you don't know what jobs are going to come up, you don't know how long you're going to last... So I just think that you can't, I think a lot of managers will probably look at that and think, well, maybe I... can't kind of plan my future career path in club football in quite the way that I might have wanted to.”
— Jack, (33:30) -
On Manchester United’s Permanent State of Crisis
“When was the last time Manchester United didn’t play a must-win game? Every game is a must-win game.”
— Carl, (37:33)
Panelists’ Top 3 Hardest Coaching Jobs
(36:23 - 41:36)
Jack Pitt-Brooke
- Barcelona – Massive public pressure, financial woes, stylistic expectations
- Manchester United – History, instability, pressure to marry style and results
- Arsenal – Long title drought, big expectations, talented but unfulfilled squad
Carl Anka
- Manchester United – “Every game is a must-win game” shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson
- Brazil National Team – Global expectations with a transforming player base
- Tottenham Hotspur – Need for entertaining football despite lesser resources; paradoxical demands
Thomas Hill-Lopez Manchero
- Real Madrid – Results, style, and politics with little managerial latitude
- Brazil – Inescapable and intense public & national pressure
- Manchester United – External scrutiny and impossible historical standards
Other Notable Points
- The Impact of Changing Ownership Models:
- Frequent manager turnover, as seen at Chelsea and Watford, highlights how club structure and ownership churn can add to the difficulty level of the manager’s job.
- Contrast Between Club & International Football:
- International management, once seen as a retirement post, now appeals more to established managers worn out by club politics and schedule.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Real Madrid Discussion – 02:24–05:13
- Manchester United’s Unique Challenges – 05:13–08:33
- Club DNA and Style – 16:19–18:44
- AC Milan and Serie A Struggles – 21:32–25:27
- Chelsea’s Managerial Churn and Ownership – 27:47–32:19
- International Management (England, Brazil) – 34:03–36:23
- Top 3 Hardest Jobs (Roundtable & Explanations) – 36:23–41:36
Conclusion
The episode is a rich, wide-ranging look at the minefield that is elite football management, contrasting the glamour of top jobs with their nearly-impossible expectations and constant pressures. For anyone curious about “the hardest job in football,” this is a nuanced, insider view with plenty of memorable anecdotes and sharp analysis from The Athletic’s best.