Chelsea fired Thomas Tuchel after only seven games since the start of the 2022/23 season in early August. The football world was taken aback by this decision.
The Blues’ new owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, have made their intentions known to the public.
“As the new ownership group approaches 100 days since taking over the club, and as it continues to work tirelessly to move the club forward,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter, former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, and ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino are rumoured to be the frontrunners to replace former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.
Potter, Graham
According to multiple reports, Brighton manager Graham Potter is the frontrunner.
Given Brighton’s strong start to the season, it’s not surprising that Chelsea is interested in the 47-year-old (they are currently fourth in the Premier League table).
Potter may have the opportunity to become a manager for one of the “Big Six” teams sooner rather than later.
Potter has a reputation for helping Brighton become a Premier League mainstay and has been praised for playing attractive football, which would be a stark contrast to Chelsea fans’ expectations of a more pragmatic and resolute approach.
After three seasons as manager of the Seagulls, stepping up from a club in the middle of the table would be a huge, if not difficult, step for him, as the expectations for success are much higher.
However, given his stellar performance in Brighton, it is not impossible for him to succeed.
Pochettino, Mauricio
Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is said to be the second favourite to take over at Chelsea.
Pochettino has a track record of developing young players into accomplished footballers, such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane.
Given that Chelsea has one of the best academies in the world, it could be a match made in heaven.
Even after winning Ligue 1 in Paris, he was fired by Paris Saint-Germain because his team’s on-field performances were unappealing, with players like Lionel Messi underperforming.
However, he is still widely respected in England.
However, Chelsea is a club that values winning trophies, and Pochettino’s ability to lead his team to victory has always been called into question.
PSG’s trophies carry less weight in the football world because they are expected to win the league every season, for better or worse.
Zidane, Zinedine
Zinedine Zidane, the legendary footballer, is also said to be interested in the Chelsea managerial position, but he has been unemployed since leaving Real Madrid in May of last year.
Zidane has an enormous reputation after winning three UEFA Champions League titles, La Liga, the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Supercopa de Espaa.
There have always been doubts about Zidane’s ability to replicate his success as a manager at another club, and the Chelsea job appears to be the ideal opportunity for him to do so.
He has never shown a genuine interest in managing since leaving Real Madrid, and he is rumoured to be targeting the France national team job after the 2022 World Cup.
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