Coaches Also Have Nicknames. What Are They and Why Did They Appear?

Coaches often acquire nicknames that, over time, lose their original meaning. While the origin of most nicknames is understandable (for example, Pep Guardiola being called the "bald charlatan" because he is objectively bald and often clever), some nicknames can be pretty puzzling.

The most common nickname (for both coaches and players) is based on resemblance. For instance, the shape of Michael Reiziger's face (he coached Sparta and Ajax) does indeed resemble a gas mask, and Kevin Keegan (who led Newcastle, City, and the England national team) earned the nickname "Mighty Mouse" due to his fiery temperament and short stature.

Sometimes, nicknames originate from personality traits or biographical details. For example, the coach of City and Nottingham Forest, Stuart Pearce, was called "Psycho." Felix Magath, known for his inhuman training loads, was dubbed either "Qualix" (an untranslatable wordplay, with "qual" meaning "torment" in German) or simply "Saddam," after the notorious Iraqi dictator.

However, the most extravagant case is Ernesto Valverde's nickname "Ant." The coach received this nickname in honor of his favorite boat of the same name. His coach, Javier Clemente, learned about this during Valverde's playing days at Espanyol, and the nickname permanently stuck with the future coach of Barca and Athletic. This was mainly due to Ernesto's short stature (167 cm) and the fact that he was wildly annoyed by the new nickname, which greatly amused his teammates.

Published by Patrick Jane
22.07.2024