Chelsea romped to the Premier League title last term after finishing seven points ahead of their London rivals, Tottenham. The Blues won 30 of the 38 matches, with 13 of them coming consecutively from the start of October to the end of December and Antonio Conte was praised for his ‘three at the back’ tactics that he became known for during his time at Juventus. However, now he is facing the sack as his side sit outside of the Champions League places. Here are three potential managers that may come in to replace him.
Carlo Ancelotti
Many Chelsea fans would be open to a return to Stamford Bridge for Carlo Ancelotti after he left under, what can only be described as, a cloud of smoke. He had led his team to second place in the Premier League but just two hours after the end of the season, the Italian was jobless. He was best remembered in West London for his part in the 2009/10 title victory where Didier Drogba finished with 29 goals and the Golden Boot.
The 58-year-old is currently a free agent after being released by Bayern Munich in September but he certainly has at least a few more years at the top level of football management. With a very strong defensive set-up at Chelsea, Ancelotti would be able to use that to his advantage as well as some devastating attackers, which everyone knows he loves. The former Real Madrid boss might not be considered for the job as his relationship with Roman Abramovich was reportedly soured but the Russian billionaire wouldn’t do much better than re-appointing the Italian.
Thomas Tuchel
This isn’t one of the ‘big name’ appointments that some Chelsea fans would be wanting but it would be an extremely smart one. Thomas Tuchel is known for his role at Borussia Dortmund and managing to pressurise a very strong Bayern side with very low funds in comparison. Since leaving the Westfalenstadion, the German giants have struggled and after their poor start to this campaign, they are now back amongst it in third.
With the fantastic job he did at Dortmund with a tight budget, think of what he could in the Stamford Bridge hot seat with considerably more money to spend. One of his main assets is his ability to keep the majority of his players happy and that is something that previous managers have failed to do at Chelsea with a number of heavy-handed and strong-minded stars.
Luis Enrique
Of all the names to be linked with a summer appointment for the Blues, Luis Enrique is the stand-alone favourite to replace Conte. After spending eight years at Barcelona as a player, the Spaniard then managed the Catalan giants for three years. During that time, he won eight honours, including two La Liga titles and a Champions League, leaving a special legacy when he eventually departed the Nou Camp for the second time.
Unsurprisingly, he was known for his side’s tantalising passing play and he would definitely have the players to do the same at Chelsea, especially with the Blues’ large Spanish contingency. If Enrique was able to deliver even half the trophies than he did at Barca then he would be seen as something of a legend for the current Premier League champions. As the favourite if Conte is to leave, it could turn out to be a great acquisition for Chelsea.
