Chelsea are reportedly planning talks with yet another manager after sacking Mauricio Pochettino, it has emerged, with Todd Boehly eyeing up a potential move.
Chelsea working through manager shortlist
It has been quite the week for Chelsea fans. After ending the Premier League season with a fifth straight win against Bournemouth, Mauricio Pochettino parted ways with the club by alleged mutual consent following an end-of-season review, before Manchester United shocked the footballing world to lift the FA Cup against heavy favourites Manchester City.
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The result bumped Chelsea down from Europa League football to a pair of August fixtures to qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League, Europe’s third-tier competition won by West Ham in 2023 and set to be contested by Fiorentina and Olympiacos this time around.
All the while, speculation has been flying as to who may arrive in the Chelsea hot seat come the new season, with the Boehly-led ownership now looking for their fourth permanent manager in their two-year stint in charge of the club.
|
Chelsea managers under Todd Boehly |
||||
|
Thomas Tuchel |
Graham Potter |
Mauricio Pochettino |
Bruno Saltor |
|
|
Games managed |
7 |
31 |
51 |
1 |
|
Win % |
43% |
38.7% |
53% |
0% |
|
Points per game |
1.43 |
1.42 |
1.78 |
1 |
The likes of Kieran McKenna, Jose Mourinho, Thomas Tuchel, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi have all been considered and discarded, while Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca has also held positive talks over the weekend and is now close to a Stamford Bridge move. However, a new candidate has emerged, and it could be the most bizarre one yet.
Chelsea keen on Xavi
That comes courtesy of a report from Portugal, which claims that the Blues will hold talks with former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez to “evaluate the possibility” of him becoming the new man in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
It had been expected that Xavi would remain Barcelona boss after finally making a U-turn in his decision to leave the club, a stance he had initially outlined midway through the season.
However, in a shock twist, the club then decided to sack the Spanish coach, and are on the verge of appointing Hansi Flick to the vacant Camp Nou role in place of the 44-year-old.
Xavi, who has a reputation for being an attacking coach, would certainly fit the criteria for the new Chelsea boss, with the Blues owners “determined to snare the next big thing in coaching and help steer that eventual manager to the top”, something that they deemed Pochettino unfit for.
But it seems an altogether unlikely move given the Spaniard’s recent difficulties with the Barcelona board, for which he ultimately paid with his job. The Blues may be on the hunt for a more calm presence in the Chelsea dugout who is happy to work in the head coach rather than manager role, with Maresca seemingly the favourite to take charge as it stands.
