Chelsea have made a very rocky start to their campaign and this has resulted in the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
Yes, even their new owner has followed in the footsteps of Roman Abramovich, choosing to sack Tuchel only after a few poor games. This decision came after Chelsea kicked off their Champions League campaign with a shock 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night.
As per The Telegraph, Thomas Tuchel was shown the door because most of the senior players had lost faith in the German which is why the owner felt this is the right time for a transition.
No sooner has Thomas Tuchel been sacked than several names have already popped up as the potential replacement for the German.
Thomas Tuchel lasted 18 more days than Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager 😳 pic.twitter.com/VV3aBHxkQX
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 7, 2022
Here are the top five candidates who could become the next Chelsea manager.
Jorge Sampaoli:
The Argentian was sacked by Marseille in July after just one year of service and as per some rumours, Sampaoli is one of the candidates that the Blues are looking at.
He’s someone who has been a senior manager since 1997 but the 62-year-old has not managed any high-profile clubs. He has done some great work at clubs like Sevilla and Marseille but we doubt if he has the credentials and the gravitas to manage a club like Chelsea.
Diego Simeone:
Many Chelsea fans dream of having Diego Simeone as their manager and some experts think he could be ready for a new challenge after spending close to 12 years with Atletico Madrid.
This is definitely a long shot but someone like him can very easily revitalize this faltering Chelsea side.
His current deal with Atletico Madrid runs until 2024 meaning Todd Boehly will have to pull a lot of strings to bring the Argentine on board.
Zinedine Zidane:
The former French international has enjoyed a trophy-laden managerial career with Real Madrid but he’s been on a break since 2021.
He can be a genuine candidate to become the next Chelsea manager but it remains to be seen if he is willing to take up the Premier League challenge.
Zidane is someone who only wants to work with a top-level squad but this current Chelsea team is majorly imbalanced. We doubt if he will want to come to Stamford Bridge and take up a major rebuilding job.
Mauricio Pochettino:
The Argentine has been without a club after PSG sacked him during the summer and he’s been very eager to make a return to management.
He is one of the managers who has spent a lot of time in the Premier League with Spurs meaning he will take little to no time in adjusting to life with Chelsea.
As per the bookmakers, Poch is currently one of the favourites to become the next Chelsea manager and if Boehly can convince him of his future plans then the 50-year-old can sure take up the job.
Graham Potter:
The current Brighton manager is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel and as per Fabrizio Romano, he is the most likely to sit in the Chelsea dugout.
Brighton have already given Chelsea permission to hold talks with Graham Potter and now the Blues need to decide if they wish to put their trust in Potter or Poch.