Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has claimed that an English manager is more likely to get the role of manager of the England national team than the job at a leading English club.
This could be true considering the last two managerial choices that the Three Lions have had. Prior to being appointed as England manager, Gareth Southgate had only managed Middeslbrough and the England under 21 side.
Southgate’s predecessor Sam Allardyce meanwhile has managed many clubs across England but never had an opportunity to be at the helm of a major club within the country.
Benitez said of the situation: “The England manager’s job is a difficult job, but you have more chances to get the job because you are English.
“The top six jobs, it is different because you have foreign owners spending a lot of money, and what they want is the best. That doesn’t have to be English, just the best.
“In England, I know you talk about having an English manager. You have four or five options and it is easier than getting a job in the top six.”
By the same token, neither Chelsea nor Arsenal have had an English manager during the last 20 years while Ron Atkinson was Manchester United’s last manager which came before the Sir Alex Ferguson reign.
