Maurizio Sarri is not alone in experiencing the indignity of failing to substitute one of his players and being left to account for it.
Luis Enrique’s Barcelona were 3-0 up at home to Eibar in October 2014 when he told Lionel Messi it was time to leave the field. Messi had no intention of doing so and an exchange of hand gestures ensued before the player in question held up a thumb, looked away and walked up the field.
‘What happened can be interpreted many ways,’ Enrique said afterwards. ‘I will carry on doing what I’ve been doing.’
Leave means leave for all but the very elite on the football pitch. Zlatan Ibrahimovic rejected AC Milan manager Max Allegri in 2010 after injuring himself while celebrating an overhead kick. Cristiano Ronaldo said ‘thanks but no thanks’ to Zinedine Zidane during Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final at Bayern Munich in April 2017, scoring twice in extra time to make a point. But the manager who tolerates this from any but football’s deified sends a signal about his own vulnerability.
‘The balance of power in a dressing room is sometimes a delicate one these days,’ says one former manager. ‘You need to pick and choose your moments to put your marker down. You need to know when allowing subordination to pass is disastrous.’
Roberto Mancini was the same picture of unmitigated rage as Sarri after £250,000-a-week Carlos Tevez refused to go on to the field for him from the substitutes’ bench during Manchester City’s Champions League defeat at Bayern in September 2011. The Italian almost wept with fury in the post-match press conference, declaring: ‘He behaves like this, for me he can’t play (for City again). Never.’ Tevez returned to the side the following March and outlasted Mancini, who was sacked 14 months later.
Martin Allen, the former Brentford and Leicester manager, recalls another ruse when watching Brentford in 2004. Forward Tony Rougier deliberately walked in front of the home fans, milking the applause, and marched straight to the dressing room without a glance at manager Wally Downes, who was sacked a few weeks later. Allen subsequently took over as Brentford manager and one of his first acts was to pin on the wall a list of the players he wanted in his squad.
Rougier wasn’t on it. ‘He was in my office in 30 seconds, wanting to know why,’ Allen says. ‘There’s no way I’m having a player like that in any squad of mine.’
Ryan Giggs revealed the Manchester United players had a different strategy to avoid the manager, going to great lengths to pretend they could not hear Sir Alex Ferguson bellowing at them. This meant standing 20 yards away from the touchline at all times.
John O’Kane, one of United’s Class of ’92, was picked at left-back by Ferguson in a 1995 UEFA Cup tie against Russia’s Rotor Volgograd but asked 15 minutes before kick-off if he could play right-back instead. Ferguson acceded, sensing the player was ‘rattled’. O’Kane lasted 27 minutes, never played for Ferguson again and relied on another United for his best days: Hyde.
12UnitedGuyReborn
2
some players spend longer period in clubs and costs more these days than coaches and even get paid larger sum and that is usually the reason for all of this disrespect and club really do nothing to actually set it right and in most cases managers get fired and the players win and that just makes other players feel they can do it too provided they are of some importance to the club
ABenC
2
Kepa might be thinking that he's the most expensive goalkeeper to date, so he can do what he like, disrespect to the manager, he's still got a long way to go.
vanderlinde
2
"Zidane is a lege d Messi is a legend the can do what they want" stfu seriously so if the player was good he can do whatever he please but if his average everyone will talk sh!t to him???
Perkings
0
Zidan is a legend He is no Kepa he can do as he pleases
Kingkley
0
"Kepa isn't the first to deny his manager's orders though, with the likes of Lionel Messi doing it" Unbelievable propaganda. Messi DID NOT deny managers order. Is was a simple i am OK signal that took a second to concerned Enrique after a knock. On the other hand, we have a newbie Kepa continuously disgraced his club and coach/teammates in front of millions
Finjo123
3
No matter if you are Messi or Ronaldo or some other elite player, you need to follow the manager at the field. You can go against him off the match, you can criticize his tactics and team selections in team meeting but this behavior is bullshit. I did feel for Sarri that day.
I agree too
Hamacdlr
3
no one gets away with it unless they win, kepa lost the game so there for a villian
busdimoru
2
Kepa not even declare he is as a star player and want become so bossy.If he was Ronaldo,Messi or Zlatan then he can do that
Eric Magnetic
1
No matter if you are Messi or Ronaldo or some other elite player, you need to follow the manager at the field. You can go against him off the match, you can criticize his tactics and team selections in team meeting but this behavior is bullshit. I did feel for Sarri that day.
I agree.
Eric Magnetic
3
no not only greats. it depends on his performances from now on too.
AtletiFan-NY
4
No matter if you are Messi or Ronaldo or some other elite player, you need to follow the manager at the field. You can go against him off the match, you can criticize his tactics and team selections in team meeting but this behavior is bullshit. I did feel for Sarri that day.