Damien Duff opens up about coping with stress of management, here's what he says

Irish football legend Damien Duff has opened up on coping with stress of management. The Shelbourne manager recently revealed that he gets professional help and meets the counsellor once every week.

Late last year, Duff had refused to take up the top job at Shelbourne, as he admitted to being “scared” of stepping out of his comfort zone.

Before becoming Shelbourne's manager, Duff was working with Shelbourne’s under-17 team. After initially rejecting the offer, the former Premier League winner accepted the job in November 2021 after deciding to be an example for the underage team and his children. While Duff’s first game as a manager ended in a 3-0 loss against St. Patrick’s Athletic, he managed to keep Shelbourne in the race with great consistency during his first year as the club’s manager.


And now, Shelbourne is all set to face Derry City today in the FAI Cup final. However, Duff said that he’d taken all the measures to stay calm and take time out to avoid burnout due to the demanding job.



Duff is not the only one to open up about the stress of managing a major football club. In the recent past, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola revealed that he decided to take a step back from the pressure. Guardiola managed Barcelona between 2008-2012 but took a break to let go of the pressure before joining Bayern Munich in 2013.

FAQs:

1. When did Damien Duff become Shelbourne's manager?
   Shelbourne took up the top job in the senior team in November 2021.
2. When did Guardiola manage Barcelona?
   Guardiola managed Barcelona between 2008-2012.