The coach was a shock appointment but Spurs should be wary of the man plotting their Champions League downfall

Since the president broke the mould in 1987 with the appointment of Arrigo Sacchi, a former shoe salesman who never played football professionally, he has gone, almost every time, for a former club favourite. True, he has brought in coaches from outside the family but only men of high standing. Fatih Terim, Alberto Zaccheroni and Oscar Tabárez had impressive résumés, even if the first and last would survive only a few months in the job.

Massimiliano Allegri is different. His appointment as Leonardo's successor at San Siro last summer was greeted by raised eyebrows. The sum total of his top-flight managerial experience was two Serie A campaigns with Cagliari, in which the Sardinians finished in mid-table both times. In 2007-08 Allegri worked in Italian football's third tier, leading Sassuolo to promotion.