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LaLiga

Barcelona bench: least volatile coaching position in Europe

Since 2003, the Catalan club have used just six coaches with Real Madrid using 15 in the same time with Inter topping the pile on 16 managers.

ERNESTO VALVERDE
RODOLFO MOLINADIARIO AS

Apart from Premier League side Arsenal, who are the obvious exception to the rule with Arsene Wenger's long term 22 year tenure on the Gunners bench, the FC Barcelona coaching job is one of the most stable in the major European football circuit. Since 2003, Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova, Tato Martino, Luis Enrique and current incumbent Ernesto Valverde have sat in the Camp Nou dug-out with none of the aforementioned six getting the sack.

The opposite end of the spectrum is represented by Serie A giants Internazionale with 16 coaches having spent time on the San Siro bench in the same period of time. Antionio Conte is the latest recruit to oversee the 'nerrazurri' and he replaces Luciano Spalletti with predecessors since 2003 being Vecchi, Pioli, Vecchi (again), De Boer, Mancini, Mazzarri, Stramaccioni, Ranieri, Gasperini, Leonardo, Benítez, Mourinho, Mancini, Zaccheroni, Verdelli and Hector Cúper. 

Antonio Conte
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Antonio ConteJOSEP LAGOAFP

Spain's most transitive bench is that of the Santiago Bernabéu with 15 coaches being used by Real Madrid over the same 16 year time-frame with the likes of Zidane, Solari, Lopetegui, Zidane (first spell), Benítez, Ancelotti, Mourinho, Pellegrini, Juande Ramos, Schuster, Capello, López Caro, Luxemburgo, García Remón, Camacho and Carlos Queiroz all serving time as Real Madrid first team coach.

FC Porto take the bronze medal for this particular accolade with club president Pinto Da Costa using 15 head coaches since 2003 to oversee the 'dragons'.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group D - Galatasaray v FC Porto - Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi, Istanbul, Turkey - December 11, 2018 FC Porto's Felipe celebrates scoring their first goal
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Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group D - Galatasaray v FC Porto - Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi, Istanbul, Turkey - December 11, 2018 FC Porto's Felipe celebrates scoring their first goalMURAD SEZERREUTERS

Both Liverpool and Manchester United can claim to have the same 'serenity' when it comes to the turn-over of first team coaches with both Premier League sides using six in the time-frame in question: Houllier, Benítez, Hodgson, Dalglish, Rodgers and Klopp have all been in charge recently at Anfield with Alex Ferguson's retirement at Manchester United leading to a term on coaching instability with David Moyes, Giggs, Van Gaal, Mourinho and Solskjaer all overseeing the Red Devils since the Scottish coach retired in December 2010.