da realbet： Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna and Sebastian Hoeness are among Chelsea's managerial candidates following Mauricio Pochettino's departure.
da bet sport： Initially, news that Mauricio Pochettino would be leaving Chelsea felt like a shock. But, if we're being honest with ourselves, the Argentine had been laying the foundations for his exit for some time.
The not-so-subtle jibes at sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, the claims that this "wasn't his team", the throwaway comment that his departure would "not be the end of the world" – all of this pointed to a man who simply wasn't happy in his job. And on Tuesday, Chelsea finally put a full stop on this saga, confirming that Pochettino would indeed be moving on.
"Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history. The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come," Pochettino said in a statement.
According to, the reasons for this split are a difference in opinion over the future direction of the team. Essentially, Pochettino wanted more control over proceedings, something that Chelsea weren't willing to give him.
Thus, despite their excellent end to the season, the Blues are now on the lookout for his successor. Nothing has been confirmed yet, with the decision to part with Pochettino only just being rubber stamped, but there have been several names linked with the post already. Below, GOAL runs through some of the top candidates to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Getty ImagesSebastian Hoeness
Hoeness wasn't a name known outside of German football before this season. However, his exploits with Stuttgart this campaign has led to him being linked with a string of top clubs. Initially joining the Bundesliga side back in April 2023, he helped lift them off the bottom of the table and into the relegation play-off, where they beat Hamburg.
But this term he's defied all expectations, guiding Stuttgart to a remarkable second-place finish. They even managed to collect more points than Bayern Munich. At 42, Hoeness certainly fits the age profile Chelsea seem to be looking at, but having a manager of such meagre standing come in would surely not go down well with the Chelsea fanbase.
AdvertisementGetty Jose Mourinho
No manager in world football splits opinion quite like the Special One. But regardless of what you think of his ability to manage in the modern game, it seems unlikely Boehly and Co will hand Mourinho a third stint at Stamford Bridge this summer.
The Blues want a young, upcoming coach who can give them an identity. Mourinho, now 61-years-old, is the antithesis of this. Chelsea's board never cease to amaze, though, so don't rule out this return completely. Mourinho, for his part, would surely be interested.
GettyMax Allegri
Much like Mourinho, Allegri would seem to represent the 'old guard' of managers that Chelsea seem determined to move away from under their current ownership. The Italian's trophy cabinet is impressive, but he's never been much of a footballing entertainer and his most recent spell at Juventus ended acrimoniously.
His players tend to like him, though, and a unifying figure such as this might be a useful asset for Chelsea with further turnover expected in the summer transfer window.
(C)Getty ImagesRoberto De Zerbi
A few days before Chelsea dropped their managerial bombshell, Brighton also shook the Premier League by announcing the departure of De Zerbi – not long after the Italian insisted he had no plans to leave the south coast. The Seagulls haven't been quite as impressive as they were in his debut season, with fatigue no doubt playing a role in that, but if it's an exciting identity they're after, he could be the man.
Saying that, it's difficult to see De Zerbi not clashing with those above him at the club at some point. He's never been one to avoid confrontation if he isn't happy, and the board might be looking for someone more pliable to their vision of the club.