Seventeen men have lifted the World Cup trophy as coach, with Italy's Vittorio Pozzo winning twice, in 1934 and 1938. Aiming to be No. 18 are Spain's Vicente del Bosque, Germany's Joachim Loew, Uruguay's Oscar Tabarez and the Netherlands' Bert van Marwijk. Tabarez, 63, is the oldest of the four. Loew, 50, is the youngest.
Loew has revived Germany into an exiting team thanks to his willingness to introduce young players, including those from varied ethnic backgrounds. The new-look Germany is a bit of Bastian Schweinsteiger and a dash of Mesut Oezil. It is an exciting mix, writes Grahame Jones.
Under Van Marwijk, the Dutch have not been reduced to squabbling and fighting among themselves. Del Bosque's team is filled with more talent than any other at the World Cup, but it has been stuck in low gear. Tabarez has managed to guide Uruguay into the semifinals for the first time since 1970.
As players? Del Bosque was the most accomplished, winning five Spanish championships and four Spanish Cups as a defender for Real Madrid and played 18 times for Spain. (Van Marwijk won a Dutch Cup and Dutch league crown, Tabarez had a 12-year playing career in Uruguay, Argentina and Mexico, while Loew bounced back and forth between the German First and Second Divisions before finishing his playing career in Switzerland.)
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