da betsul： Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge was hyped up as “The Return” by Sky Sports last weekend, but it certainly wasn’t a happy one for the Portuguese.
da realsbet： His Manchester United side were comprehensively beaten by Antonio Conte’s Chelsea as the Red Devils continued their uninspiring form – losing 4-0.
The Special One received plaudits for preventing Liverpool’s attacking options any clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities six days previously, but Mourinho’s side deserved no credit for Sunday’s performance, producing a disgraceful defensive display.
But Mourinho can’t be the only manager to suffer such embarrassment at the hands of his former employers – in fact, we at Football FanCast reckon it’s more common than most people would think.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at four of the most embarrassing returns to old stomping grounds managers have endured in recent years, spanning the Premier League and yonder.
Can you think of a more humiliating example? Let us know in the comments section below!
Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona in 2015
In April 2015, Pep Guardiola returned to Barcelona for the first time in the opposition dug-out as his Bayern Munich side took on the club he’s most synonymous with in the Champions League semi-finals.
Much of the pre-match talk surrounded Guardiola’s imminent return to the Nou Camp, where he played and managed Barcelona for a total of 15 years.
But a devastating display from Lionel Messi and co resulted in a stunning 3-0 victory for the home side, which cast huge doubts over Pep’s reputation after being humiliated by Real Madrid the year previous.
David Moyes’ return to Goodison Park in May 2015
Some cartons of milk had a longer cell-by date than David Moyes’ tenure at Manchester United. The Scottish manager famously departed Everton in 2013 to replace the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson in the Old Trafford dug-out.
Moyes spent 11 years at Goodison Park, where he greatly overachieved in terms of finance and resources before taking the reigns at the Premier League’s most historic club.
But ten months into his time at Manchester United and not even the most optimistic of supporters could have stood-by Moyes as he decimated a series of unwelcome records. In May 2014, he returned to Goodison Park for the first time and a suffered a defeat that would ultimately end United’s chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
Everton dominated United in every area and eventually won 2-0. Moyes was sacked just days later.
Kevin Keegan’s return to Newcastle in 2002
In 2002, Kevin Keegan returned to St. James’s Park for the first time as an opposition manager. He took his First Division Manchester City side to Newcastle for his teams’s F.A. Cup forth round clash against the Magpies.
Keegan had famously guided Newcastle to the cusp of a Premier League title in 1996 before ultimately cracking right before our eyes on the Sky Sports cameras.
The former Liverpool legend became an iconic figure in the North-East as Newcastle quickly established themselves as everyone’s second favourite side due to their impressive style of attacking football. Keegan walked out just months later due to the stress and pressure of the job.
His City side matched then third-placed Premier League outfit before a mistake allowed Nolberto Solano to score the winner and end any chance of Keegan achieving a dramatic returning victory.
Alan Curbishley returns to Charlton in 2007
After spending 15 years in charge at the Valley, Alan Curbishley famously left Charlton following the conclusion of the 2005/2006 season.
During that time, Curbishley guided Charlton to promotion from the First Division on two occasions and maintained their Premier League status for six years following the second promotion in 2000.
The former Charlton boss joined London rivals West Ham just months later with the team in desperate need of an injection of Premier League experience. Later that same season, a return to The Valley occurred and former West Ham manager Alan Pardew guided his new-look Charlton side to a 4-0 victory on Curbs’ return.
Despite Curbs’ humiliation, however, it would be West Ham that survived as Charlton suffered relegation to the Championship.