A look at one-off EPL nationalities as Postecoglou becomes first Australian boss
Nine countries have provided just one manager for English football’s top flight since 1992.
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Your support makes all the difference.Ange Postecoglou will be the first Australian to manage in the Premier League after taking up the reins at Tottenham.
Australia will be the 25th nation to provide a permanent Premier League boss and one of nine to be represented by just a single manager.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the one-offs.
Australia – Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham – 2023 –
The Premier League’s last recruit, Postecoglou arrives at Tottenham having significantly enhanced his curriculum vitae with what he achieved at Celtic. The former Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F Marinos boss was recruited after completing a domestic treble in Scotland to take his tally to five major trophies in just two seasons.
Austria – Ralph Hasenhuttl
Southampton – 2018-2022
Hasenhuttl was drafted in by Southampton after securing a runners-up spot in the Bundesliga in his first season at RB Leipzig. In almost four years at the helm, he guided the Saints to 16th, 11th, 15th and 15th-placed finishes, but departed in November last year with the club sitting inside the relegation zone and having twice presided over 9-0 defeats.
Brazil – Luiz Felipe Scolari
Chelsea, 2008-09
‘Big Phil’ arrived in London having won a World Cup with his native country and having taken Portugal to the Euro 2004 final. He was in charge for only 25 league games, though, and 36 in all competitions, before being sacked after defeat to Liverpool and a goalless draw with Hull left the Blues fourth in the table, 10 points off the top.
Chile – Manuel Pellegrini
Manchester City 2013-16, West Ham 2018-2019
Comfortably the most successful manager on this list, Pellegrini translated his success at Spanish sides Villarreal and Malaga into a league and League Cup double in his first season at City and added another League Cup before giving way to Pep Guardiola’s hugely successful reign. He returned with West Ham for the 2018-19 season, overcoming an opening run of four defeats to secure a top-10 finish.
Israel – Avram Grant
Chelsea 2007-08, Portsmouth 2009-10, West Ham 2010-11
Grant overcame scepticism at his Chelsea appointment – and a lack of the requisite coaching qualifications – to lead them to runners-up finishes in the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup, but it was not enough to earn him a second season in charge. He later suffered back-to-back relegations with Portsmouth and West Ham, but took Pompey to the FA Cup final and the Hammers to a League Cup semi-final.
Serbia – Slavisa Jokanovic
Fulham, 2018
Jokanovic never got the chance to manage Watford in the top flight after securing promotion in 2015, leaving the club over the summer after failing to agree a new contract. His opportunity finally came after the Cottagers’ play-off success in 2018, but he managed only one win in 12 games, with 31 goals conceded, before being sacked.
Sweden – Sven-Goran Eriksson
Manchester City, 2007-08
A year after leaving his role with England, Eriksson signed a three-year contract with City. He lasted only one, producing what the club’s then owner Thaksin Shinawatra termed “an avalanche of very poor results which is unacceptable at this level” culminating in a staggering 8-1 loss to Middlesbrough.
Switzerland – Christian Gross
Tottenham, 1997-98
A shock successor to Gerry Francis, despite two league titles and a Swiss Cup with Grasshopper and two promotions before that with FC Wil, Gross lifted a struggling side clear of relegation trouble but lasted only until the early days of the following season before being sacked.
Uruguay – Gus Poyet
Sunderland, 2013-15
The former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder replaced Paolo Di Canio at the Stadium of Light in October 2013 and his first season brought an unlikely late run to survival, a League Cup final, derby victory over Newcastle and a win at Chelsea which was Jose Mourinho’s first-ever home defeat as a Premier League manager. The next campaign brought another relegation battle, though, and Poyet was sacked in August after a heavy defeat to West Ham.