Such is the dedication of a football manager, and the relentless 24/7 nature of the sport, even the arrival of their own newborn babies have seen coaches produce multi-tasking of the highest order.

Take West Brom manager Carlos Corberan who knows a thing or two about juggling his two favourite things in life: football and family.

The Spanish coach guided his then Huddersfield team from the hospital ward his wife was due to give birth to their first child, as they faced Barnsley in the FA Cup fourth round back in February 2022.

Not content with letting his support staff take over the reins for one match, Corberan was surrounded by devices and in communication with his assistant throughout in the comfort of a small room close to the labour ward as they booked their spot in the fifth round with a crucial 1-0 win.

“My first child, Marcus, was born hours after a cup game. I had my computer, had my TV, had my phone and I was on the call with my assistant for 90 minutes, watching the game and managing it from the hospital,” Corberan told Sky Sports in an exclusive series exploring Fatherhood in Football.

When Corberan’s second child arrived earlier this year, it looked like the 41-year-old might have to repeat his managerial duties from the labour ward. This time, baby Dario arrived the day before West Brom’s Championship clash with rivals Birmingham. It meant Corberan could support his wife, enjoy his first cuddles with Dario and prepare for Saturday’s 3pm kick-off.

“It’s true I was looking at my watch to see if I would be on time in both things because missing the birth of your child is something you could always regret and you never know what can happen in these situations in football,” Corberan told Sky Sports.

“But at the same time as a manager you want to be with your players, your team. So I remember when I was meeting with the players on the Friday and my wife was calling me to tell me that she would travel to the hospital, so I was still in my meeting, trying to finish my job.

“After I travelled to the hospital and, when they told us everything was starting [labour] and he could arrive on time, it was a positive thing because I was in my meetings, I was supporting my wife and then after I was supporting the team in their game.”

Corberan went on to manage his side to a 1-0 win over his rivals. Fortunately for West Brom fans there is no fear of their manager taking on duel duties as he prepares for the lottery of the Championship play-offs.

The Baggies face Southampton in the semi-finals, with the first leg at home this Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football (2.15pm kick-off). Ironically, in Russell Martin, Corberan goes up against his managerial counterpart who has his own infamous newborn baby tale to tell.

It was during Martin’s Norwich playing days in 2015 that the defender caught a private plane with joint majority shareholder Delia Smith shortly after the birth of his son in Norfolk – having already driven the 230-miles from the north east to make it to the hospital in time. In true fairytale style, Martin scored in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Corberan stresses these are some of the sacrifices that players and managers make all in the name of football.

“Family and football are the two main things in my life,” he said. “Knowing that football has always meant a lot to me, my first memories of my life are football. I was a player, a coach, it’s always been part of my life.

“My wife understands completely that these are the demands of the job. It is a privilege but it has a lot of sacrifices and one of those sacrifices is not to give all the time you would like to give to the people who mean a lot to you.”

‘Marcelo said a little prayer by my little man’s bed’

It is fair to say that the extended-family culture that clubs create around their players means footballers have that support staff at hand when their own family is in need of care.

You only need to ask Leeds captain Liam Cooper, who couldn’t speak more highly of former boss Marcelo Bielsa and his attentive nature when the player’s newborn was readmitted to hospital.

Cooper was reflecting on being told his two-week-old son had been rushed to intensive care straight after Leeds suffered a 2-0 loss at Nottingham Forest during the February of what had been a sticky period in their promotion-winning season of 2019/20.

“I shot straight back [to the hospital] in the club’s medical car,” Cooper told Sky Sports.

“We had just been beaten but I think all that goes out the window when it hits home and your family and you forget about football for those moments.”

Cooper’s son had severe bronchitis. The defender and his wife stayed by his hospital bed for the next few days while his son also received a special visitor – none other than Bielsa himself.

“After rushing to the hospital, in the morning I’d had a message from Marcelo and a couple of the coaches to say they’d like to come and see the little one and pay their respects.

“Marcelo turned up, he didn’t say much but he didn’t have to do that – but it tells you everything you need to know about the man. He said a little prayer by my little man’s bed. Not everyone sees that other side of football and that side of parenthood in the game. If everyone lives like me, it’s family before everything. The club were so understanding of the situation.”

Cooper was to play three days later with his son much better and after discussions with the club. “It was always going to be a yes from me,” he said.

According to former team-mate Stuart Dallas, who announced his retirement from football last month due to injury, Cooper’s attitude was nothing less than he expected.

“It speaks volumes for Liam and the type of guy he is that he was there a few days later and scored an important goal [he scored the equaliser at Brentford in February 2020] which probably did turn our season around,” he said.

“Honestly the industry we’re in you don’t get a lot of time off, we know what we’re getting ourselves into and it can be difficult. You miss a lot of things with the kids, that’s just part and parcel of the game, you’ve got to get on with it.”

Dallas said he had one day off for his first son before he returned to training and that footballers don’t have the “luxury of having two or three weeks off”.

For those without family close at hand, Cooper admits it is more challenging.

“I think the missus know how much deep down we love football,” he said. “They support us. I’ve been fortunate, I’ve got a lot of family around myself. It’s so difficult for the lads who are away from home and that’s when being at a club such as Leeds, I think everyone tries to help you and put you in the right direction.”

Family is where the heart is, but for some, the football fraternity is the heartbeat that everything revolves around.

Watch Norwich vs Leeds and West Brom vs Southampton in Championship play-off semi-final first leg this Sunday live on Sky Sports Football from 11.30am.

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