Managing a top club requires an array of excellent skills that not everyone possesses. Clubs will often hire new football managers in the midst of the season when results don’t go as anticipated. Several of the top European teams are already struggling to meet expectations this season. These European giants are searching for a new head coach before the start of the next campaign. Here are five of the best football coaches who are currently available to take on a new challenge.
Top Five Available Football Managers That Big Clubs Should Pursue
Football Bosses Between Jobs
A big team dugout can be unbearable sometimes when things do not go as planned. Let’s take the example of current Chelsea boss Graham Potter. He was appointed Chelsea’s manager last September with high expectations after the departure of Thomas Tuchel. But Potter has been struggling to inspire his team to get the results that everyone is expecting. Strong speculation in London suggests that he may be sacked anytime in this ongoing season.
Read More: ‘That Squad Is More Than Good Enough’ – Former Arsenal Defender Slams Graham Potter and Chelsea
2019-2020 Premier League champions Liverpool have massively underperformed under their head coach Jurgen Klopp this season. The Reds are hovering in the middle of the table and are on the verge of being knocked out of the Champions League. However, Klopp’s situation at Liverpool is different than that of other major clubs in Europe. He is one of Liverpool’s most successful coaches ever and is regarded as a legend by the fans.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Antonio Conte, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone, Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri, and PSG’s Christophe Galtier’s situations in their respective teams have been shaky. They could all be shown the exit door before the start of the next season. Let’s take a look at five football managers who have excellent CVs and are currently available to hire by the top clubs in Europe.
Zinedine Zidane
The former Real Madrid boss was considered a favourite to take charge of France’s national side after the 2022 World Cup campaign. But that didn’t happen as Didier Deschamps renewed his contract with the French Football Federation till 2026.
Any big European team would like to have a manager with the same profile as Zinedine Zidane. He has a strong reputation for dealing with big egos. Zizu knows what it takes to manage star players, get the best out of them, and win major trophies.
Zidane has only managed Real Madrid so far and has impressive statistics. He has a more than 60% winning percentage in over 250 games. He has won three Champions League titles and two La Liga titles. Zinedine Zidane is arguably the most in-demand of the available football managers. So, only a team with strong aspirations can anticipate hiring him as their coach.
Where Zidane could end up: PSG, Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino
Many thought Mauricio Pochettino might replace Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea’s manager last September. Pochettino’s successful stint as Tottenham’s manager has made him an instant favourite whenever a managerial post becomes vacant at a big club in the Premier League.
The profile of the Argentine manager during his time in the Premier League has been impressive. Tottenham participated in the Champions League on a regular basis under his management and even advanced to the 2019 final. However, his time at PSG was more or less disappointing. even though he bagged three titles with Paris Saint-Germain.
Mauricio Pochettino has a nearly 48.49 winning percentage in almost 600 games as a manager. He will certainly be an upgrade over Graham Potter at Chelsea, or he may end up back at Spurs.
Pochettino’s next job?: Tottenham, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid
Luis Enrique
If any team wants to build a system like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and prefers tiki-taka football, Spanish coach Luis Enrique will be a perfect candidate. Enrique stepped down as Spain’s national coach after the FIFA World Cup 2022 and is currently available to take on a new challenge.
Luis Enrique managed multiple European clubs before taking over the national side in 2018. Under his guidance, Spain played in the final of the 2021 UEFA Nations League. However, his major success came while managing Barcelona from 2014 to 2017. He helped Barcelona win two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy in 2015.
Luis Enrique has an amazing winning percentage of 76.24 as FC Barcelona’s head coach. Overall, he has close to a 60% winning percentage in more than 400 games as a manager. This Spanish coach is certainly a sought-after coach for any major club in Europe.
Rumoured clubs Luis Enrique could manage: Chelsea, Juventus
Thomas Tuchel
German coach Thomas Tuchel caught the eye of everyone when managing Borussia Dortmund. He guided them to win the 2017 DFB-Pokal. Tuchel was appointed as PSG boss in 2018 and won six trophies in two seasons. He helped PSG play their first Champions League final in 2020, where they lost to Bayern Munich 1-0.
Tuchel’s major achievement has been winning the Champions League with Chelsea in the 2020–21 season. However, his time at Chelsea came to an end after the takeover by a new owner, and he was sacked last September.
Thomas Tuchel has an overall 57.2 winning percentage as a head coach, which is really impressive. He had the highest winning percentage (74.3%) while managing the French side PSG. Tuchel is one of the most highly praised football managers in Europe. Tuchel’s return to Chelsea seems highly unlikely, but there is no shortage of suitors for him.
Possible destinations for Thomas Tuchel: Tottenham, Bayern Munich, Juventus
Rafael Benitez
The most senior coach on this list is Spanish coach Rafael Benitez. Rafa is mostly known for his time in Liverpool from 2004 to 2010. He helped them win their fifth Champions League title with a famous victory over AC Milan in the final.
In more than 30 years of managerial career, Rafa Benitez has managed some of the big European clubs like Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, Valencia, Newcastle, and Real Madrid. He may not have the same spark as a manager as he did ten years ago. But he is still considered one of the top football managers in the world.
Rafael Benitez has a 48.8 winning percentage in more than a thousand games. He took charge of 350 games at Liverpool. If Carlo Ancelotti can lead Real Madrid to the Champions League after spending several seasons coaching mid-table clubs, why can’t Rafa do the same?
Rafa’s next steps: Atletico Madrid, Juventus or perhaps even in South Korea…
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