Joachim Low (Germany):
Butt sniffing, nose picking, Joachim Low is a coach who has been caught in some awkward moments. Google it. A seasoned coach, his disgusting habits have done nothing to change the German FA’s opinion of this man. After winning the previous World Cup in Brazil with Germany, why look for a new coach. He’s been at the helm for over a decade now and this is surely going to be his last tournament, ending his tenure with another trophy. Keep an eye on Joachim but also his Germany squad as they are favorites to win. He did make a dodgy call leaving Leroy Sane out of the team, it could come back to bite him in the arse.
Roberto Martinez (Belgium):
Roberto Martinez has done some magnificent things with the teams he has coached. Success with Swansea, Wigan, and then Everton all earned him respect until his eventually sacking, then appointment as the Belgium coach. He has had time through qualification to try new lineups and formations, and now is the time to show what he has created with the outstanding individual talents on Belgium, from keeper to striker and everywhere in between. Belgium is a monster, it all comes down to whether Roberto was able to build a team mentality, and not an all-star squad whom all want individual glory.
Jose Pekerman (Colombia):
Mr. Pekerman is an Argentinian coach who has had plenty of success at the international youth levels winning numerous championships for Argentina. The Colombia coach since 2012, this is the tournament Colombia think they have a chance at it all. Pekerman has had years molding this team, and now it’s is the time for Cuadrado, Falcao, and James to do the talking. Pekerman’s not short on class or height, a tall thin gentlemen from the same mold as Arsene Wenger. Infamous for his suits, I’m sure well see some of his 1.5 million Euro salary on the sidelines in the form of designer apparel.
Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina):
Jorge looks like he could be a wrestling coach way before he could be a soccer coach. Short in stature but stockier then a bull this passionate futbol coach made his name globally for what he was able to do as the coach of the Chilean National Team. Jorge was able to lead his squad to the Copa America Championship two years in a row due to the centanario, winning both finals! This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without Sanchez and Vidal, but surely the coach did amazing work to pull together this bunch into a championship team, twice. Now he is “controlling” Messi, Higuain, and Dybala. Argentina have a far deeper team then Chile and surely Jorge will have some tricks up his sleeve to help push Argentina at least to the semi-finals, if not final again. Anything but a World Cup victory is likely to get Jorge fired, but that could be said for most of the men on this list.
Gareth Southgate (England):
This Englishman will finally have his chance. After putting in his time as the England U21 coach, hes now moved up to the senior squad. I am sure he will be thanking his lucky stars for the group they’ve drawn and the depth in attacking talent which is available to him. Other than Belgium, England should win their other two games easily. They have a young team who can shine brightly as we have seen for United and spurs. If Gareth can get his selection and preparation right this team could kill a giant, but most find that hard to believe with such an inexperienced team at this level. I would love to see this typical group stage knock out team, advance deep into the tournament and make their fan base proud. And if they don’t, they’re sure to hear about it.
Tite (Brazil):
An extremely experienced Brazilian coach, Tite has made his rounds to half a dozen teams all over Brazil and even a few in the Middle East. After what seems continuous success at Caixas, Gremio, then Corinthians, Tite received his break through with a 3.5 million Euro salary and title “head coach” of the selecao. This is a very strong Brazilian team going forward, but does have aged defenders. Tite is combating this in pre World Cup friendlies with 2-3 holding center midfielders. It could prove pivotal for Brazil to protect their defenders, and could make Tite a genius if they can push forward and lift the cup. Tite has a calm demeanor and that will be important as the tournament continues. The pressure will come for Brazil and Tite will give them the confidence. Hypothetically.
Julen Lopetegui (former Spain):
Julen is an accomplished coach who seemed the perfect candidate to bring Spain back to its rightful place after the previous World Cup in Brazil. He has coached the U21 Spain team as well as the senior side through the qualification stages, reaching this year’s World Cup in Russia. After accepting a place at Real Madrid as the manager once the World Cup concluded, the Spanish FA sacked him. They feel he had no business setting up a job for after the Cup and should have been focusing on the job at hand. However firing your coach two days prior to the World Cup is just a preposterous move however you look at it. Half the Spanish team plays on Real Madrid anyways. Most coaches will move on after the World Cup, win or lose. So why so harsh on Julen. I have a feeling this was an emotional move to fire Lopetegui, which is sad to see, especially for the fans.
