Advertisement
hostility

Magnificent Seven: fiery manager clashes

Be warned, as most of these clips contain very strong language.

1. Brian Cody vs Anthony Cunningham

In a tense All-Ireland Hurling Final last Sunday, managers Brian Cody and Anthony Cunningham squared up to one another, after a controversial late free was awarded, which enabled Galway to secure a vital point that meant the tie would go to a replay.

YouTube credit:

2. Wally Backman vs a hapless baseball official

South Georgia Peanuts manager Wally Backman is ejected from the game several times, after disputing an umpire’s decision all too vehemently.

Warning: it probably contains more strong language than the rest of these videos put together.

YouTube credit:

3. Warren Gatland vs Ireland

The Welsh manager controversially said Wales ‘dislike’ Ireland ahead of their 2009 Six Nations clash, causing widespread annoyance in the process. Shane Byrne then called the comments ‘stupid,’ while Eddie O’Sullivan said Gatland had done Ireland’s team talk for them. The Wales manger subsequently claimed he meant the words as a compliment to the Irish team, but there’s been no love lost ever since when the two sides have met. The statement, however, appeared to have no effect on Ireland, as they went on to beat Wales and win a historic first Grand Slam in 61 years.

YouTube credit:

4. Arsene Wenger vs Alex Ferguson

There have been some stormy words exchanged between the two managers in the past. Early into the Frenchman’s Arsenal reign, Ferguson described him as “a novice,” adding that he “should keep his opinions to Japanese football”.

Growing tired of the Scot’s taunts, by 2005, Wenger proclaimed: “He doesn’t interest me and doesn’t matter to me at all. I will never answer to any provocation from him any more.” However, as the video below demonstrates, the relationship between the two seems far more harmonious these days.

YouTube credit:

5. Davy Fitz vs RTE

Davy Fitz described RTE as ‘ridiculous’ following their decision to focus on his foul-mouthed tirade during a Munster SHC semi-final earlier this year. “I’m not going to go saying that it’s right to use bad language,” he added. “But is it used all the time? Pretty much.”

YouTube credit:

6. Giovanni Trapattoni vs The German Media

You may think Trapattoni’s Ireland tenure has seemed embattled in recent days, but it’s nothing compared to the evident tension that existed between himself and the press during the lower points of his time spent managing in Germany.

YouTube credit:

7. Joe Kinnear vs The English Media

Joe Kinnear is very much an old-school football manager in the sense that he doesn’t mince his words.

Such dressing downs from football managers to the English press, as evidenced below, aren’t as rare as you would think, but the fact that Kinnear consciously said it all on the record very much made him an exception to the norm.

YouTube credit:

Read: The YouTube top 10: because ungentlemanly conduct is so much fun>

Read: Daithi Regan: “It was one of the worst refereeing decisions that was ever made.”>