Life at top puts premium on coaches' hearts

There is one soccer elite that Gerard Houllier would rather not have joined this weekend -- an elite graced by the likes of Johan Cruyff and the legendary Scot Jock Stein.

Houllier, who steered Liverpool to an unprecedented cup treble last season, was rushed to hospital on Saturday in the middle of his team's English premier league game at home to leaders Leeds United after feeling chest pains.

The 54-year-old French manager ended up in a specialist clinic where he underwent major heart surgery. He is now recovering in intensive care with the prospect of a lengthy convalescence away from football.

But the chances are he will be back in the hotseat as soon as he can, unable to keep away from the passion of his life.

Fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger, in charge of title rivals Arsenal, said: "Of course, your health comes first but unfortunately I think we all let passion come first most of the time."

Dutch great Cruyff suffered a heart attack while in charge of Barcelona in the early 1990s and Stein, who steered Celtic to Britain's first European Cup victory in 1967, died of a heart attack during a World Cup qualifier in 1985 when he was Scotland's manager.

Leeds manager David O'Leary said that Houllier had made a reference to the stresses of top level football management only minutes before Saturday's kickoff.

"Gerard was saying to me beforehand that this job is bad for your health," O'Leary said.

"You have to look after 20 very rich people, keep them happy, it's bad for your health," he said.

TOUGH TASK

Houllier had embarked on an extremely tough task, to bring back the English championship trophy to the country's most successful club -- 18 league titles and four European Cups -- and end a wait dating back 12 years.

Argentine midfield legend Angel Labruna, a World Cup player in 1958 at the age of 42, died of a heart attack shortly after succeeding in a similar task.

Labruna ended his beloved River Plate's 18-year wait for another Argentine league title in 1976 but the stress told on his health in the end.

Stein's fellow Scot Alan Hansen, an accomplished former Liverpool and Scotland centre-back, turned down the chance to become a manager because he feared for his health.

"I have seen what football management can do to people," Hansen, a television football pundit, said in his autobiography A Matter of Opinion.

"It is an incredibly tough job and even the calmest and most philosophical of men can be badly affected by the stress...

"So many things can go wrong, so many things that are out of your control," Hansen wrote.

Hansen's former Liverpool and Scotland team mate Graeme Souness had triple bypass surgery after a heart attack in 1992 when he was Liverpool manager.

But Souness is still in the thick of the game, now in charge of fast improving Blackburn Rovers who he steered to promotion to the premier league this season.

Had his side lost 7-1 rather than beaten West Ham United by that big score on Sunday afternoon the 48-year-old might have felt the pressure.

HIGHLY STRUNG

Paris St Germain's highly strung French coach Luis Fernandez threatened to quit the game in 1996 because he feared for his health, only to come back with Athletic Bilbao in Spain.

Fernandez, now back at PSG and renowned for his touchline antics during matches, said at the time: "If you look today to see who is one of the few trainers who has shown panache, enthusiasm and ambition, it's Johan Cruyff.

"I love Johan Cruyff but he's had a heart attack and he almost died. I'm also afraid of dying of a heart attack for the love of football."

Dynamo Kiev and Ukraine coach Valery Lobanovsky is another high profile figure in the game to have suffered a heart attack, in 1999. Ex-Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear had heart problems the same year.

Former South Africa coach Clive Barker, now in charge of premier league Manning Rangers, had a mild heart attack earlier this month.

The stress can also affect relatives.

Germany coach Rudi Voeller's father Kurt had a heart attack in Munich's Olympic stadium during England's 5-1 win over Germany last month.

However, some people seem to have just the right temperament to handle the intense pressure of life at the very top of the game, not least Bobby Robson who has managed Ipswich Town, England, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon.

At the age of 68, he is still going strong with Newcastle United.

Just getting the sack is an almost daily fear if a coach's team are not winning.

"Managers get sacked in September now," said Robson as he looked back at the early season dismissal of Leicester City's Peter Taylor and Dino Zoff's departure at Lazio.

"The importance of winning and the escalation of money make (football) a vibrant industry," Robson said.

"But I cope with the pressure through sheer enjoyment and fulfilment of my life. I am on the pitch every day and I love it."