If there is a more interesting, well-travelled coach in modern football than my pal Stuart Baxter then I’ve yet to meet him.

Stuart’s dedication to karate was good preparation for an early brush with the rants of legendary Dundee United manager Wee Jim McLean and for the high demands of the passionate fans of AIK. As manager, he made AIK Swedish league champions again and became a hero of the ‘Black Army’ ultras. Stuart loved his spells in Japan, but his first time managing Kobe coincided with the city’s devastating earthquake. Stuart stuck around to help rebuild.

Good for you, Stuart.

Graham

Subscribe to Between the Lines: The Stories Behind Great Sports Writing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Stuart Baxter: Rebuilding AIK, Resurrecting Kobe