Baller League UK: Who are the Managers of the Teams in the UK's Newest Football League?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Deportrio - Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards
When you think English football, few names come to mind quicker than the Premier League’s all-time highest goal-scorer Alan Shearer. Add to that England’s all-time top goalscorer in World Cups, Gary Lineker, and former Man City and Aston Villa man Micah Richards, and you have the management team of Deportrio.
The hosts of the podcast The Rest Is Football have made a sensational start to the season, currently leading the league standings after four weeks. Given their popularity, it’s unsurprising that Deportrio have been able to call upon some big names in Bakary Sako and Marvin Sordell, while former Citizen Joleon Lescott has also featured as a wildcard this season.
Yanited - Angry Ginge
For those who watched or were in attendance for week four of Baller League UK, you would likely have noticed the famous colours of Newton Heath with the Manchester bee logo strewn across the Copper Box Arena. Indeed, those are the colours of ‘Yanited’, managed by one of the most notable faces on the internet over the last year - Angry Ginge.
With over 1.5m subscribers, Angry Ginge is one of the fastest-growing YouTubers on the planet and is known for his unwavering support for Manchester United, which has already quite visibly made him a fan favourite. Alongside him is Tottenham Hotspur academy coach Samuel Cox, and together they have built an unbeaten side that features former Fulham defender Michael Hector.
Santan FC - Dave
Only in Baller League UK will you see the likes of Alan Shearer having to go up against a rap star. David Orobosa Michael Omoregie, better known as Dave, is one of the UK’s biggest rappers and actors, and he is also doing a splendid job at managing Santan FC, who are currently in fourth place in the league standings.
Dave and Santan FC have focused their efforts on giving former pro players as well as up-and-comers a chance to put their names up in lights and possibly attract the attention of big clubs. Among the more notable players are Erick Kenko, who played for Fulham youths, while Nile Ranger, a former Newcastle United striker, has been called up as a wildcard.
VZN FC - Tobi Brown
The first of two Sidemen in Baller League UK is Tobi Brown, who manages VZN FC. Given the popularity of the Sidemen across the globe, it’s unsurprising that TBJZL also has a massive fan base, which includes over two million subscribers on YouTube, and so far, he has been doing an excellent job alongside head coach Elijah Brown, with the team in third place after four weeks.
VZN FC’s roster includes the likes of former Liverpudlian Jerome Sinclair, former Arsenal and Aston Villa man Henri Lansbury, as well as Montel McKenzie, who rose to fame on the well-known TV series Love Island. The team has now won three in a row and are starting to look like genuine contenders for the inaugural league title.
MVPs United - Alisha Lehmann and Maya Jama
The only all-women-managed team in Baller League UK is MVPs United, who are led by former WSL star and current Juventus women's attacker Alisha Lehmann as well as TV presenter Maya Jama. Lehmann was offered the opportunity to manage a team in Baller League UK after being involved in the German version of the league last year.
MVPs United head coach Stephen Sama is also a well-known name in the realm of amateur football, and the team, led on the field by Josh Rusoke, have made a very promising start to the inaugural campaign, winning three and losing just one of their four games to date, which places them fifth on goal difference.
M7 FC - Simon Minter
The second Sidemen member in Baller League UK is Simon Minter, aka Miniminter, who is a proper baller himself and the manager of M7 FC. He has starred in several of the Sidemen’s Charity matches over the years and has in excess of 10m subscribers on YouTube, making him one of the most recognisable faces among the ‘YouTube managers’ in the league.
M7 FC is coached by Emmanuel Marfo, and the team features players like Toby Bull, who played for Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, as well as England six-a-side international Arjun Young. With a 2-2 record, M7 FC are sitting in mid-table with six points, though they did secure a big win against Trebol FC last time out.
SDS FC - Sharky
Another famous YouTuber featured in the dugout of Baller League UK is Sharky, who manages SDS FC. Sharky is best known for his affiliation with Beta Squad alongside Chunkz and Niko Omilana, as well as his podcast Sharky Does Sport, which is also what the team name SDS stands for.
Nottingham Forest Under-16s coach Nimesh Patel is the head coach of the team, and former Chelsea youth prospect Cole Dasilva is arguably their best-known player. SDS FC made a solid start to the season, beating the 26ers on opening night, but they have since lost all three games and are currently in ninth place in the league standings.
Trebol FC - Luis Figo
From Sporting Lisbon to Barcelona, Real Madrid to Inter Milan, Luis Figo has played in some of the greatest teams in the history of football and is without doubt one of the best players Portugal has ever had. Figo has featured on both sides in the El Clasico and was awarded the Ballon d’Or for the 2000 season during his time with Los Blancos.
The legendary Portuguese forward has enlisted the services of Manuel Silva, founder of another famous football show called Top Baller, as his head coach, while the on-field leadership comes from ex-Magpie and Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark and Guyana international Kai McKenzie-Lyle between the sticks for Trebol FC.
FC RTW - Clint419
If you are not aware of who Clint419 is - this is the guy who founded the clothing brand Corteiz, which has been promoted by the likes of Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo and Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga. In case you’re wondering about the team name, RTW stands for ‘Rules the World’, which is the tagline of Corteiz.
Given his close partnership with some of the biggest football franchises across the globe, Clint419 has been able to attract several big names, including Josh Harrop, who came through the Manchester United academy, Toon youth player Michael Ndiweni, and former Leicester City Under-18s goalie Oliver Bosworth.
26ers - John Terry
Leading the 26ers at Baller League UK is the former Chelsea duo of John Terry and Jody Morris. Terry needs no introduction, having captained both the Blues and England, while Morris possesses a huge amount of experience, having been part of the backroom staff at Aston Villa, Leicester City and during Frank Lampard’s reign as manager of Chelsea.
The 26ers have endured a rough start to life in Baller League, managing just a single point after four games, but they certainly have more than enough talent to turn it around, with a team that features former Bournemouth and Liverpool winger Jordan Ibe, semi-pro footballer J'ardell Stirling and ex-West Brom Under-21 shotstopper Mac Chisholm.
Wembley Rangers - Ian Wright and Chloe Kelly
Given Baller League president KSI’s love for Arsenal, there are several former Gunners and members of the Invincibles present in the competition. Ian Wright is one such name and he is responsible for managing Wembley Rangers alongside former Lioness and Women’s Super League star Chloe Kelly.
England six-a-side boss Ross Cable has been appointed as the head coach of Wembley Rangers, and the team includes notable names, including SE Dons striker Domingos Pires, ex-Stockport Town and Fleetwood Under-21 attacker Cheikh Thiam, and Ruben Junior, who came through the famous Benfica academy.
N5 FC - Jens Lehmann, Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires
Last, but certainly not least, is N5 FC, who are managed by a trio of Arsenal’s Invincibles, Jens Lehmann, Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires. Lehmann acts as the frontman of the club, given his familiarity with Baller League abroad, while former Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town player Luke Chambers serves as the head coach.
With a star-studded backroom staff, N5 FC had little difficulty roping in Premier League talent, such as Adrian Mariappa, who is best known for his time at Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace. Mariappa has over 160 Premier League appearances under his belt and lines up alongside ex-Woking and Crawley Town defender Chris Arthur.
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