Premier League managers past and present have revealed their dream dinner party guests to Yahoo.
In a series of interviews that could shed some light on the inner workings of some of football’s biggest names, a whole variety of choices were suggested, from family to film stars, musicians to mothers, politicians and papality.
Of the respondents, Gianfranco Zola, Paul Ince and Gus Poyet played the family card, by naming their wives as ideal dinner guests, while Harry Redknapp, Sam Allardyce and Alex McLeish named sporting superstar Muhammad Ali as their favourite. Film stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Scarlett Johansson featured as popular choices, while Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama represent politics in the list.
Perhaps going a step too far in attempting to curry favour with his employers, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini went with Sheikh Mansour, whilst balancing out his choices by also naming the Pope.
Norwich manager Paul Lambert would invite former U.S. president George Bush, whilst newly unemployed Steve McClaren names former colleague Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps in search of his old job back.
And it seems former Inter Coach Rafa Benitez hasn’t had enough of authoritarian Italian presidents, naming Napoleon in his list.
The list in full:
Gianfranco Zola – Father, wife, Diego Maradona
Harry Redknapp – Muhammad Ali, Vincent O’Brien, Bobby Moore
Paul Ince – Wife, John F Kennedy, Tiger Woods
Paul Lambert – Elvis Presley, George Bush, George Best
Roberto Di Matteo – Julius Caesar, Claudia Schiffer, Robert De Niro
Sam Allardyce – Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Sir Alex Ferguson
Sven Goran Eriksson – Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul, Barack Obama
Chris Coleman – John F Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix
Tony Adams – Jesus, Sir Alf Ramsey, Scarlett Johansson
Simon Grayson – Geoffrey Boycott, Bono, Don Revie
Roberto Mancini – Paolo Mantovani, The Pope, Sheikh Mansour
Rafa Benitez – Julius Caesar, Al Pacino, Napoleon
David Moyes – Mother, Tommy Burns, Kylie Minogue
Gustavo Poyet – Fernando Morena, Michael Jordan, Wife
Neil Warnock – Queen, Barbara Streisand, Brian Clough
Steve McClaren – Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex McLeish – Robert Di Niro, John Lennon, Muhammad Ali
Alan Pardew – Muhammad Ali, Barrack Obama, Spike Milligan
Peter Reid – Elvis Presley, Jesus Christ, Angelina Jolie
Chris Hughton – Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, Bill Shankly
For insight from England’s leading managers plus exclusive Barclays Premier League highlights every Monday morning visit Yahoo! Eurosport at www.yahoo.co.uk/sport
