It was with some surprise that Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea parted ways two days after the season had concluded. But if there’s one thing for certain in football these days, it’s that nothing should surprise you at Chelsea.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly had only recently preached about “patience” before the club was in search of a fourth manager in the space of two years.
i sources have said the club will seek a manager with a clear style, philosophy and identity, favouring possession-based, attacking football.
It is thought that they are more interested in coaches emerging in the game who can embed fully in a longer journey — an approach that has worked well for Boehly’s LA Dodgers baseball team.
Here are five leading candidates to fit Chelsea’s mould.
Ruben Amorim, 39, Sporting Lisbon
Amorim’s name has, at least at one point, come up in future-planning discussions at every club in Europe.
Less than a month ago he apologised to Sporting fans after being spotted flying to London for talks with West Ham to replace David Moyes, a position he decided not to take. He also featured prominently in discussions around the new Liverpool head coach.
As a player, he was a serial trophy winner with Benfica and has carried that trend into coaching, leading Sporting Lisbon to a first Primeira Liga title in two decades in 2021 before lifting the trophy again this season.
And he does this with possession-based football, liking to control games with the ball, building up play from a back three, with wing-backs trusted to play high up the pitch.
Sebastian Hoeness, 42, Stuttgart
One of the brightest managers in Germany. Hoeness’s Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga — ahead of Bayern Munich.
His football is a thrilling ride: a high defensive line, active pressing, looking to turn over possession as soon as possible after losing it. Preferring a 4-2-3-1 system, he is known for balancing defensive solidity with attacking fluidity.
Hoeness was hugely successful in German youth football before transitioning into senior management, including an exceptional stint at Bayern Munich II, winning the German third division for the first time in the club’s history.
“This development is sensational, coach Sebastian Hoeness and his team deserve the greatest respect for the fact that we won the third tier,” then Bayern chairman Herbert Hainer said. “More and more talent is knocking on the first team’s door, our academy work is increasingly becoming a great source of young talent.”
Hoeness is the latest in a long line of brilliant German coaches.
Enzo Maresca, 44, Leicester City
A Pep Guardiola apprentice who is forging a similar path to Mikel Arteta.
The Italian joined Guardiola’s coaching staff in 2020 when he was appointed manager of the Elite Development Squad.
After guiding them to the Premier League 2 title he was handed his first first-team managerial role at Parma, but lasted only six months before he was sacked.
Maresca returned to work with Guardiola, this time promoted to assistant manager, working closely with Guardiola as he masterminded City’s Treble-winning season.
After being relegated, Leicester City offered Maresca a chance in charge again and this time he nailed it, winning the Championship last season with 97 points. He has a good track record developing young players — another element that will fit with the Chelsea project.
Kieran McKenna, 38, Ipswich Town
The former Manchester United coach has become one of the most highly-rated emerging young managers after guiding Ipswich Town into the Premier League with back-to-back promotions from League One.
McKenna has found success playing progressive, attacking football that is hugely entertaining, according to observers. However, last season Ipswich still averaged a little over 50 per cent possession in matches — not insignificant but only the 10th most in the second tier.
Is he too raw, still, for Chelsea, whose owners expect the head coach to lead them back into the Champions League next season and to be challenging at the top of the Premier League table?
McKenna did not win the league in either of his two promotion seasons, qualifying for promotion automatically in second place in League One and the Championship.
i reported that Brighton are lining up a move for McKenna to replace Roberto De Zerbi and it may prove a more realistic next step.
Michel, 48, Girona
A coach who has gone a little under the radar in England, Michel rose to prominence in Spain after taking Rayo Vallecano, Huesca and Girona from the Spanish second division into La Liga.
At Rayo Vallecano and Huesca he lost his job due to poor results in the top-flight, but at Girona — part of the City Football Group multi-club model — he has stunned Spanish football since being promoted, leading La Liga in the early stages of last season, for the first time in the club’s history, then qualifying for the Champions League, for the first time in the club’s history.
Girona have achieved this playing bold, brave football, unafraid to play on the front-foot against supposedly superior opponents.
They are not a side to necessarily dominate possession, but that is perhaps to be expected of a team punching well above their weight, and have still managed to retain the ball more than opponents in the majority of matches.
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