Shockingly, Mauricio Pochettino is now out, by mutual consent, at Chelsea FC. It is now official. And according to various reports, it took a couple days, of intense talks, but differences emerged and now they’re going their separate ways. Pochettino only lasted one season at Stamford Bridge, and he still had one year left on his contract.
Poch is already being linked with a move to Manchester United (a club that he has been linked with in the past), amid uncertainty about Erik ten Hag’s position.
So who is next after Mauricio Pochettino?
We looked at the listicles of names being linked, most specifically what was published by The Telegraph and The Guardian, and here you’ll find the eight most likely candidates.
Vincent Kompany
Burnley has a disastrous season, but Kompany is still considered to be a good prospect for bigger jobs down the line.
Sebastian Hoeness
Stuttgart manager is a solid, but not spectacular choice. His stock is up because this is a seller’s market for managers.
Michel
Girona’s surprisingly amazing and historically good season has made him a hot commodity.
Thomas Frank
Brentford’s boss is going to get his shot at a big club sometime; we’ve known that for awhile. The Bees are coming off a rough season, but he’s still thought to be one of Boehly’s front-runners.
Thomas Tuchel
Could the German make a return? Although he is a free agent, why would he want to, given what Boehly did to him last time.
Roberto De Zerbi
We already covered why he isn’t really an option, despite all the conjecture saying that he is, at this link. In that story we also covered where he might be going instead.
Kieran McKenna
Ipswich’s gaffer is considered one of the fastest rising coaching prospects in the game.
Enzo Maresca
The same can be said of Leicester’s mentor; especially so after what he just accomplished.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.