Pochettino: Jose Mourinho & 5 other managers who could replace the struggling Chelsea coach

5 managers who could replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea

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5 managers who could replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea

Pochettino: Jose Mourinho & 5 other managers who could replace the struggling Chelsea coach

Tunde Young 18:41 - 07.12.2023

Mauricio Pochettino is on the hot seat at Chelsea following a string of bad results and performances leading to fans calling for him to be fired and here are six candidates who have been touted as his potential replacement.

Chelsea fans are losing patience and faith in Mauricio Pochettino fast with calls for him to be fired circulating the internet just five months into his reign at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino was expected to be a breath of fresh air following the disastrous spells of Graham Potter and Frank Lampard in which the club finished 12th in the Premier League.

But the Argentine has not hit the ground running at all and the team currently sits 10th on the log after 15 games with multiple uninspiring performances.

The most recent of those poor performances came at Old Trafford where Chelsea lost 2-1 in what was a flattering scoreline considering how truly horribly they played.

That game seems to be the final straw for Chelsea fans who have called for Pochettino to be fired and a few names have been thrown around as potential replacements.

Here are six managers who could realistically replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea if the Argentine gets fired.

6 managers who could replace Pochettino at Chelsea

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea fans have been calling for the return of Jose Mourinho to replace Pochettino which is a bit surprising considering how his first two spells at the club ended.

Jose Mourinho could be set for a third spell as Chelsea manager

The Portuguese remains the most successful manager in Chelsea history and his no-nonsense style could benefit this current squad greatly as they seem they could use a lot of discipline.

The 60-year-old is currently in charge of Roma and his contract with the Italian club runs out at the end of this season which makes him potentially available for yet another return to Stamford Bridge.

Julian Nagelsmann

German managerial prodigy Julian Nagelsmann was initially on the shortlist of managerial candidates before Chelsea went on to hire Pochettino.

Julian Nagelsmann could be the next Chelsea manager
Julian Nagelsmann could be the next Chelsea manager Julian Nagelsmann could be the next Chelsea manager

Now the 36-year-old is in charge of the German national team on a short-term deal which runs till the summer, after EURO 2024 which Die Manschaft are set to host.

This means Nagelsmann would be free to talk to Chelsea ahead of next season and potentially sign on as manager which is good news considering he did a great job at RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in recent times.

Maurizio Sarri

Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has recently been speaking about his time at the club, claiming he regrets leaving the Premier League and his nostalgia is incredibly well-timed.

The Italian was in charge of Chelsea for a solitary season, leafing the Blues to a third-placed finish and the Europa League title in the 2018/19 campaign.

Maurizio Sarri won trophies with Chelsea and Juventus.

Sarri currently manages Lazio where he has done a great job, returning the club to the Champions League while having them playing his distinct brand of football, SarriBall.

Roberto De Zerbi

Chelsea seem to have a thing for poaching players and coaches alike from Brighton and Roberto De Zerbi may yet be the next in line to transition from the Amex to Stamford Bridge.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi || Credit: Imago

Beyond all of that, De Zerbi has earned the right to coach at a top club like Chelsea based on his managerial talents alone and fits Todd Boehly's idea of a manager with a long-term goal in mind.

Signing De Zerbi mid-season will be difficult for Chelsea though as they had to pay premium to land Graham Potter just over a year ago, one has to imagine Brighton would want a lot more for their current manager.

Arne Slot

Another one in the long list of managers Todd Boehly tried to sign before Pochettino was appointed, Arne Slot may yet get his time as Chelsea manager soon enough.

Slot has restored Feyenoord's status as a serious team since taking charge, breaking the duopoly of Ajax and PSV to win the Eredivisie title last season.

He also has Feyenoord playing great football this season as they sit second on the league table and are heading to the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group behind Atletico Madrid and Lazio.

Hansi Flick

Former Bayern Munich and German national team manager Hansi Flick is another name that has been strongly linked to Chelsea in recent times and this may yet be a strong possibility if Poch gets the boot.

German coach Hansi Flick has been linked to the Chelsea game

Flick famously won six trophies in a year at Bayern Munich and Chelsea will be hoping he can replicate his 2020 exploits at Stamford Bridge if the time comes.

The German tactician is also unattached at the moment which makes the possibility of a deal much easier if Pochettino ever gets fired.

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