Top 5 Famous Short Managerial Reigns In Football History

Leroy Rosenior. | image source: getwestlondon.com

Football management is not the most secure of jobs around as the axe is known to fall anytime, and ruthlessly at that, the moment a team's performance starts going south.

While it is not a surprise to dismiss a coach after a poor run of results or other reasons that are deemed as tantamount grounds for one to be sacked, such an emotion can be evoked when a coach is sacked before he even knows where his office is.

With that in mind, we look at 5 coaches who got their marching orders even before the ink dried on the contract paper.

5. LUIGI DELNERI, sacked after 66 days by FC Porto in 2004

Tasked with responsibility of replacing Chelsea-bound Jose Mourinho who had won the two league titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy during his 2-year reign at the club, the Italian found himself boarding a plane back to Italy after just 66 days at the club.

His contract was terminated even before he took charge of his first game with the reason for his sacking being "poor time-keeping".

4. JOCK STEIN, left Leeds United after just 44 days in 1978

Famous for being the first British manager to win the European Cup, the former Celtic and Scotland manager quit his position at Leeds United after a lacklustre 44 days to take up the vacant Scotland manager position.

3. BRIAN CLOUGH, sacked after 44 days by Leeds United in 1974

Before enjoying success with Nottingham Forest, the controversial Clough lasted only 44 days at Leeds United. Charged with the responsibility of replacing Don Revie at the club, was shown the door after he fell out with almost everybody at the club.

His reign at Leeds United was subject of a movie titled the "The Damned United" which was released in 2009.

4. PAUL BREITNER, dismissed after 17 hours as coach of Germany in 1998

The former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid star was dismissed from his position as the coach of Germany after 17 hours. The decision had been by the then DFB boss Egidius Braun but he was later forced to go back on the decision when fellow association officials opposed the move.

5. LEROY ROSENIOR, sacked after just 10 minutes by Torquay United in 2007

The former West Ham and Fulham player went from employed to jobless in just 600 seconds after his appointment as manager of Torquay United in 2007 coincided with the club being taken over by a local consortium which already had its own candidate for the job. He has not been involved in club management ever since.