Michael Laudrup’s managerial career has not hit the heights that his playing one did, but that is not to say that there were not some great moments in it. The former Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid attacking midfielder arrived in South Wales as something of a surprise replacement for Brendan Rodgers in the dugout, after Swansea City had acclimatised to life in the Premier League with ease.
Laudrup was appointed in the summer of 2012 and was set to be the first Danish manager in Premier League history.
Laudrup delivered a major trophy in the form of the League Cup in 2012/13, thrashing Bradford City in the final after a mightily impressive two-legged victory over Chelsea at the semi final stage. Despite achieving such a feat with one of the smaller clubs in the top-flight at the time, Laudrup was unceremoniously dismissed in February 2014 after a run of six defeats in eight, increasing concerns over a potential relegation to the Championship.
The 58-year-old has taken up interests outside of football in recent years, following two managerial spells in Qatar after his departure from Swansea.
Laudrup does speak to various publications, typically about Champions League football or other affairs concerning some of Europe’s biggest clubs but his managerial career does feel like a thing of the past at this stage. It is a shame in a way that Laudrup was not able to build on the promise that he showed in the dugout in South Wales, with the Swans, at times, playing better football in 2012/13 than they did in Brendan Rodgers’ time at the club.
Considering the high profile roles that Rodgers has taken up since leaving the Swansea.com Stadium it would have been entertaining at the very least to see Laudrup embark on a similar career pathway.