Diego Simeone, Zidane, Rooney and other top managers with footballer sons

• Kai Rooney, Luca Zidane, and Giovanni Simeone are among the sons of famous managers who are making a name for themselves in football
• Zidane has four sons who appear to have tapped into the soccer profession, with all four of them embarking on a career in the sport
• Apart from his son, Solskjaer also has a footballing daughter Karna. She plays for Manchester United women

Anyone who has ever played Sunday League football as a kid knows how difficult it is to be a manager’s son.

But there have been plenty of father-and-son teams in the professional game, with names like Harry and Jamie Redknapp, Brian and Nigel Clough, and Yohann and Jordi Cruyff rushing to mind.

Although it may not seem as frequent as it once was, there are plenty of big-name managers with footballing sons floating around in the game. 

Noah Solskjaer, Kai Rooney, Luca Zidane and Giovanni Simeone are just some of the sons of big-name managers making a career in football right now.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE

Luca Zidane (Left) Zidane (right) Photo: The Stateman

His four sons appear to have tapped into that vein of footballing talent, with each of them pursuing a career in the sport.

Enzo, the eldest, is a midfielder who presently plays for Ligue 2 club Rodez, while Luca is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.

Real Madrid’s youth team now includes midfielder Theo (19) and left-back Elyaz (16).

Zinedine Zidane is regarded by many as the ultimate superstar player who was able to translate his talent into management.

As a player, Zidane won everything with France, Juventus, and Real Madrid, and as a manager, he was equally successful.

DIEGO SIMEONE

Diego Simeone’s son (right) Giovanni Simeone plays for Hellas Verona. Photo; MARCA

Zidane isn’t the only brilliant manager to come from a Madrid club with footballing lineage. Diego Simeone, the manager of Atletico Madrid, can make the same claim.

Giovanni Simeone is the best of them, having created a name for himself in Serie A with clubs like Fiorentina and Genoa.

He is now having a fantastic season with Hellas Verona, as he is on pace to score 20 goals in Serie A this season.

Gianluca Simeone is a striker who plays for CD Ibiza in Spain’s fourth division. Giuliano Simeone, another forward, is a member of Atletico Madrid’s B team.

It’s difficult not to notice that the kids of Diego Simeone, football’s best defensive coach, have all chosen to be attackers.

WAYNE ROONEY

Kai Rooney. Photo: Planet sport

Wayne Rooney proves to be a good manager at Derby County, but his son Kai has joined his previous club Manchester United.

Man United’s record goalscorer is Wayne Rooney Sr, and there are early indications that Kai has a chance to follow in his footsteps.

Kai is only 12 years old, so don’t expect him to break anytime soon, but he has already impacted the Red Devils’ under-12s with some prolific goal-scoring.

This includes scoring all four goals in Liverpool’s 5-4 defeat.

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER

When Noah Solskjaer played against his father’s side in a Man United vs Kriatiansund. Photo TEAMtalk

While we’re on Manchester United goal scorers, it’s worth noting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a footballing son.

Noah Solskjaer, a 21-year-old midfielder who aspires to model his game after Michael Carrick’s, is still learning the ropes in his native Norway.

He’s playing for Kristiansund, the same club he played as a kid, but he’s having trouble breaking through.

Sogndal’s loan term has not gone well, with him playing more games for the B team than the first.

By the way, Solskjaer has a footballing daughter named Karna. She is a player in the Manchester United women’s team.

MAURICIO POCHETTINO

Maurizio Pochettino (left), and his father Mauricio Pochettino (right)

When Mauricio Pochettino, the current manager of Paris Saint-Germain, was named Southampton’s manager’ in 2013, he enrolled his then-13-year-old son Maurizio in the club’s youth squad.

Pochettino Sr moved on to Tottenham two years later, and his son joined the Londoners’ academy instead.

He went on to sign two professional contracts with Spurs before being released in the summer after his father departed the club.

Maurizio Pochettino, a winger, joined Watford on a free transfer last season and made one appearance as a substitute.

SERGIO CONCEICAO

There isn’t much place for sympathy when you’re the manager of Porto. You must win every match and win the Primeira Liga title or be kicked out of town.

So it was important that Sergio Conceicao resorted to his son, Francisco when his team needed a win away at Estoril.

Francisco also came through for his father, netting an 89th-minute winner after some excellent work from Luis Diaz, who is currently starring for Liverpool.

The 19-year-old has already made 35 appearances for Porto, indicating a bright career ahead of him in the game.