Teamwork and the power of serving in the shadows

Graham Daniels  |  Features
Date posted:  7 Sep 2025
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Teamwork and the power of serving in the shadows

Source: iStock

Giovanni van Bronckhorst knows what it’s like to be in the spotlight. As a player, he lifted the Premier League trophy and won the Champions League. As a manager, he guided Rangers to the Europa League final. Yet today, instead of prowling the touchline as the leading man, he sits on the Liverpool bench - not even Arne Slot’s number two.

Similarly, Gabriel Heinze, once a fierce competitor for Manchester United and Real Madrid and a respected coach in Argentina, is now part of the Arsenal staff.

Both men could easily pursue head coaching roles elsewhere, yet they’ve chosen supporting positions at two of the world’s biggest clubs. Why?

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