All eyes are on Todd Boehly, the Blues’ sporting director and owner, as he chooses a worthy contender to fill the managerial position as the team searches for a new head coach.
Recall that Thomas Tuchel is no longer Chelsea’s head coach after he was fired Wednesday morning following Chelsea’s Tuesday night 1-0 Champions League loss to Dinamo Zagreb.
This will be the first managerial appointment at Stamford Bridge under the new Blues owner.
The question everyone is asking is who should Todd Boehly be looking to hire? An out-of-work big name, or can he tempt a coach who is already in a job to move to west London?
The Chelsea board and Todd Boehly decided to fire Tuchel after the club’s lacklustre start to the season, during which time it struggled to establish any kind of identity on the field and appeared toothless in front of goal. Tuchel had just overseen a world record £273 million in the summer transfer window.
The search for Tuchel’s successor will start, but who will be considered for the position? Here is a list of names we have gathered below:
Roberto Mancini
Clubs managed: Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter, Manchester City, Galatasaray, Zenit
Zinedine Zidane
Clubs managed: Real Madrid Castilla, Real Madrid
Brendan Rodgers
Clubs managed: Watford, Reading, Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic, Leicester
Mauricio Pochettino
Clubs managed: Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain
Graham Potter
Clubs managed: Ostersund, Swansea, Brighton.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Chelsea revealed the sacking of head coach Thomas Tuchel. The statement reads in part:
“Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with head coach Thomas Tuchel.
“Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach.
“There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made.”
As we continue to monitor the development, KemiFilani thinks three names amongst the above list stand out for the job.
Who is likely to succeed Thomas Tuchel?
Roberto Mancini is a manager who has taken a break from the club scene for a while. Still, the possibility of taking over at Stamford Bridge might convince the Italian manager to reconsider.
There isn’t much he can accomplish on the international stage – unless he wants to try again for the Euros – having won the European Championship with his nation but failing to make the World Cup in Qatar this winter.
Every major open position has Zinedine Zidane’s name on it, and the Chelsea opening will undoubtedly result in the Frenchman being linked with a Premier League move.
Zidane is a tempting prospect for Todd Boehly and the Blues board, thanks to two incredibly successful stints at Real Madrid, but it is unclear whether they will be able to persuade him to pass up the France job, which may open up after this winter’s World Cup.
Graham Potter is leading Brighton to greater success, so it’s not surprising to hear him mentioned as one of the front-runners to succeed.
If Potter is approached, the Seagulls will try to retain his services, and there’s no guarantee that the 47-year-old would reject a highly desirable project on the south coast.
