If Graham Potter receives his P45, Chelsea could choose one of five leading candidates to serve as manager.
Chelsea Online News:
Following a poor sequence of results that saw the team plummet to 10th in the Premier League and be eliminated from both the FA Cup and League Cup, Graham Potter is on the verge of being fired at Chelsea.
Indeed, the pressure on Potter has increased as a result of Chelsea‘s most recent defeat to Fulham, during which new loan player Joao Felix was dismissed. Since being appointed Chelsea’s manager in September, he has managed 19 games across all competitions, winning 8, drawing 4, and losing 7.
That isn’t good enough for many Chelsea fans, who in recent weeks have turned to chanting former boss Thomas Tuchel‘s name in the stands. Tuchel’s sacking happened rather unceremoniously, especially after he had led the club to the Champions League title just a year before.
However, while pressure mounts on Potter, owner Todd Boehly has clarified his current incumbent still has the full backing of the board, but, should they want a change of fortunes so soon after his appointment, then there are plenty of candidates available.
Top 5 candidates Chelsea FC could appoint should Graham Potter get fired:
Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side is the embodiment of everything the Argentine is: aggressive, passionate and containing plenty of quality. However, after 12 years in the Spanish capital, it seems Simeone’s time is coming to an end.
While his current contract expires in 2024, Simeone has reportedly informed the club’s CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin that he will be leaving in the summer. If the Chelsea job becomes available, though, that timeframe could be intensified.
Chelsea seem the most likely English job that Simeone would take, too, their style most suited to working under the Argentine’s demanding but effective tutelage. Right now, the team on the pitch certainly seems in need of some commanding presence guiding their way.
Spare a thought for Joao Felix if this appointment ever materialised, though. The Portuguese forward has only just escaped the clutches of Simeone, joining Chelsea on loan until the end of the season. Being reunited so soon after leaving Atleti might not make the most of Felix’s signing.
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Luis Enrique
Having quit the national team after losing to Morocco in the World Cup 2022’s round of 16, former Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique is currently jobless. In spite of this, he did a respectable job managing Spain, guiding them to the semifinals of the Euro 2020 tournament. He is a very capable coach who prefers incisive and direct football with quick transitions from defense to attack, which is probably perfect for this Chelsea team’s attack.
Enrique has had success as a club coach as well. In 2015, after stints at Roma and Celta Vigo, he won the treble with Barcelona. Even after a disappointing World Cup campaign, his credentials are undeniable.
Mauricio Pochettino
In recent years, former Chelsea managers Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte have both taken jobs at Tottenham, but in an odd turn of events, it may be former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino who will take the helm at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino, who has been unemployed since PSG fired him in the summer, is said to be open to a job offer from Chelsea.
The 50-year-old, who had previously seen success at Tottenham, won three championships while in charge of the French giants and guided them to the Champions League semifinals.
The Argentine may find working with fewer restrictions to be enticing as well, but there are still concerns about his capacity to cope with major talents like those he worked with at PSG.
Zinedine Zidane
Since leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2020β21 season, Zidane has reportedly held out for the position of France’s national team manager. However, Zidane’s future as a manager now appears less certain.
In fact, Didier Deschamps extended his agreement with France through the 2026 World Cup, obstructing Zidane’s path to the position and forcing him to consider other alternatives. That achievement of Zidane, a three-time Champions League champion while leading Los Blancos, is obvious.
Zidane’s biggest challenge would be making the most of an aging Chelsea team, and the fact that he has only managed Real Madrid could work against him.
Thomas Tuchel
Okay, this would be incredibly improbable but also incredibly rational.
Thomas Tuchel was fired by Chelsea in September 2022, and under dubious circumstances Graham Potter took his place as manager. Although the reason for Tuchel’s departure is still unknown, if he can mend fences with the board and, most significantly, Todd Boehly, then this appointment would make perfect sense.
According to reports, Tuchel has already declined a number of job offers this season in favour of waiting for the top clubs in Europe to approach him. He also has a clear affection for Chelsea and is skilled at motivating the team’s players.
After all, he had just over a year with them before he was fired to win the Champions League, and, aside from Joao Felix, he had worked with every first-team player during his previous tenure as manager.
