“Will not become the new coach of Chelsea” – Major player out of the race within hours | OneFootball

It’s only been a couple of hours since the announcement that Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent, and already the focus has turned to who might replace him.

The word from insiders like Ben Jacobs and Fabrizio Romano is that the owners want someone “dynamic” and “young”, and that seems to put Ipswich boss Keiran McKenna squarely in the frame. But he won’t be easy to land, and big field of possibilities will have to be established – just like last year.

One person who is already out of the race is Hansi Flick. The former Bayern Munich and Germany boss “will not become the new coach of Chelsea,” according to Florian Plettenberg, who is very well connected both at Bayern and in the Bundesliga in general.

He’s heard that from the “coach’s circle,” and we’re always inclined to trust Plettenberg’s exclusives when it comes to these specific areas. Flick is “focused on other projects.”

Not a top candidate

Flick’s name wasn’t mentioned among those names put out by Romano or Jacobs in the last few hours, so perhaps it’s no surprise to see him ruled out so early.

Perhaps the 59 year old is not considered “young” or “dynamic” enough to take this project forward. He certainly has seen his once incredibly bright star wane after a fairly disastrous spell with the German national team. He remains a figure whose name hovers around every vacant top tier club managerial position, but he doesn’t seem to have come too close to any of them.

He never felt a natural fit for us, so ruling him out of the race seems like something that can be done with some confidence. The priorities, apart from someone young, is a coach who will be “collaborative” with the owners. What that seems to mean is someone who will simply do what they’re told without putting up a fight.