Five managers Chelsea could replace Mauricio Pochettino with | OneFootball

It has been a stuttering start to life at Chelsea for Mauricio Pochettino. With 8 wins from his first 20 Premier League games, the Argentinian's 40% win record makes for very grim reading and Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Championship Middlesbrough only added more fuel to the fire that surrounds the former Tottenham man.

Whilst the Blues are clearly undergoing a major transitional period, the level of expectation is so high that the pressure is on Pochettino to find a winning formula quickly. As of now, it is believed that the former PSG manager's job is safe, with The Telegraph reporting that will remain the case as long as Chelsea have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe. However, with the average life span of a Chelsea first team coach being roughly 18 months, there will likely be no hesitation to terminate the 51-year-old's contract should it seem necessary.

Should that be the case, GIVEMESPORT have created a shortlist of five possible candidates who could take over the reigns at Stamford Bridge and change Chelsea's fortunes. We've considered who might be attainable for Todd Beohly and Co., looking at managers without jobs and those who are currently at teams who the west Londoners could poach from.

1 Zinedine Zidane

One name that has been linked with a move to the Premier League for some time now is Zinedine Zidane. A mercurial talent as a player, he has worked wonders on the sidelines throughout his managerial career. Coming in at a time when Real Madrid were struggling under Rafa Benitez, the Frenchman miraculously won the Champions League on his very first attempt.

Incredibly, he followed that up with two more successes in the following couple of years. This made Madrid the first team to ever win three Champions League titles in a row. Shockingly, he chose to resign following the 2017/18 campaign, but returned in 2019 for a less successful stint at the Bernabeu.

Since then, Zidane has been linked with the likes of France, Manchester United, and PSG. With those three seemingly out of sight for the time being, a possible move to London could finally tempt him away from his hiatus. Interestingly, the former World Cup winner was one of the favourites to take the job before Chelsea went with Pochettino, so there has been interest from the club's side previously.

2 Roberto De Zerbi

Where have we seen this before? Chelsea go after a young Brighton manager who has steered the club to new heights. It may not have worked the first time, but they do say lightning doesn't strike twice. So, why not give Roberto De Zerbi the chance to do what Graham Potter couldn't?

Many Brighton fans were worried about how their club would fare when Potter left to join Chelsea in 2022. They needn't have worried, as the Italian stallion brought in to replace him has steered the Seagulls into the last 16 of the Europa League and built one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League.

Interest in De Zerbi isn't new. Tottenham were believed to have him under consideration after sacking Antonio Conte. As of yet though, the 44-year-old has not been poached and has continued delivering brilliant work on the coast. That being said, given Chelsea's history of negotiating with Brighton for the likes of Mosies Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Potter, it's not out of the realm of possibility to see history repeat itself once again.

3 Hansi Flick

Free agent

Much like Zidane, Hansi Flick jumped straight into the deep end with management. Having spent years working in different roles within the game, including being the assistant manager in Germany's 2014 World Cup winning side, the 58-year-old finally got his chance to shine in 2019. Taking over from Niko Kovac, Flick was appointed manager of Bayern Munich.

Under Flick's leadership, Bayern strolled to yet another Bundesliga title. More impressively, they also captured the Champions League for the first time since 2013. Winning the competition on his first attempt won Flick many plaudits, and it came as no surprise when he was chosen to replace his former boss Joachim Löw as Germany's national team boss after the delayed European Championships in 2021.

His reign with the Germans didn't turn out quite as he would've hoped. A disappointing World Cup meant that Flick was sacked in 2023, but with his impressive run at Bayern still lingering, Chelsea may find themselves willing to take a gamble on him.

The youngest candidate on our list is a young Portuguese manager who has charisma and has impressed many during the infancy of his managerial career. Ruben Amorim was a hard-working midfielder throughout his career, winning 14 caps for his national team.

Having spent much of his playing days at Benfica, he now finds himself at the helm of one of their competitors in Sporting CP. Since his arrival, the 38-year-old has restored some glory to the Lisbon outfit, managing to secure one league title, a Portuguese Super Cup and two Portuguese League Cups to go along with the one he secured during his time at Braga.

Given Chelsea's love affair with José Mourinho and the obvious similarities that he and Amorim share, it seems like it is destiny for the Sporting boss to fill the massive shoes that 'The Special One' left. But why have a new Mourinho, when you could still have the current one...

5 José Mourinho

Roma

Love him or hate him, there's no denying that José Mourinho is box office entertainment. In his most recent spell at AS Roma, the Portuguese has seen himself be sent of an incredible six times. It might be worth bringing him back for the entertainment factor alone.

What's undeniable is Mourinho's place in Chelsea folklore. He is the most successful manager in the clubs history, having guided them to league titles in both of his reigns, and he is also a winner, with the Portuguese coach the eighth most successful manager in terms of trophies ever. While he may have soured his relationship with some sections of supporters following his time at Manchester United and Tottenham, he is still widely loved and respected by many of the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Would this move be a nostalgic one? Perhaps. After all, Mourinho's only trophy since 2017 is the Europa Conference League in triumph in 2022. However, if only for a short while, not many will begrudge seeing Mourninho back in the dug out in London one more time before his career is done.