Andre Villas-Boas is resurrecting his career with Marseille in Ligue 1
It seemed a case of too much too soon for Andre Villas-Boas when his time in English football ended in ridicule and his rapid rise to the top, aged just 33, overwhelmed him.
The Portuguese had been hailed as the new Jose Mourinho when he arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2011 following an exceptional treble-winning campaign with Porto.
Nine years on from that appointment – and several clubs later – Villas-Boas, now 42, is still trying to piece his reputation back together, now with Olympique Marseille.
The beginnings of his rollercoaster career, as a 16-year-old junior scout for then Porto manager Sir Bobby Robson, who lived in the same apartment block, are well documented.
He rose through the ranks and began coaching under the tutelage of Mourinho, who he followed as an assistant to Chelsea and Inter Milan before embarking on a managerial career of his own.
Immediate success in his homeland with Academica and then Porto saw Chelsea swoop in despite his just two years of experience. And then everything fell apart.
Crashing down to Earth
Sacked after only eight months when a stuttering Chelsea lost the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie with Napoli, he then had to watch as assistant Roberto di Matteo steered the club to European glory.
Undeterred, Tottenham took a punt on him, but he was unable to lead them into the top four and replaced after 18 months.
His reputation in tatters, Villas-Boas sought refuge in Russia where he won the league and cup with Zenit St Petersburg between 2014 and 2016, before a year with Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League.
An almost two-year hiatus followed, during which he fulfilled a long-held ambition to compete in the Dakar Rally, before he returned to management last summer with Marseille.
The Ligue 1 side, too, have endured a turbulent time since Paris Saint-Germain’s big-spending reign began in 2012.
AVB’s redemption
At the start of his tenure Villas-Boas targeted a “podium” and, although they sit 13 points behind runaway leaders PSG, they are eight points clear of third-placed Rennes, leaving the club on course for their highest finish in seven years.
Key to his success has been nurturing Marseille’s younger talents, such as defenders Boubacar Kamara and Duje Caleta-Car and midfielder Valentin Rongier, while also getting the best from the experienced heads of goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and talisman Dmitri Payet.
Toppling PSG looks to be a step too far, but finishing second behind Ligue 1’s Qatar-bankrolled super-power is almost a prize in itself, and would see France’s most decorated club return to the Champions League next season.
Villas-Boas said upon taking the job in the south of France that he had been “too ambitious” early on in his career, perhaps recognising the importance of man management as well as tactics.
He has always shown a talent for coaching but, now equipped with a decade’s worth of experience, Villas-Boas appears ready to complete his redemption and return to the big stage.