Managerial upheaval in European football: Chelsea, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan in hunt

With Europe’s top-five leagues drawing to a close over the weekend, the rebuild for the next season has already begun for many clubs. Some have made their moves already, some are in the process and some are still in a limbo.

In the English Premier League, five of the top 11 teams could potentially have new managers at the start of next season and another of them appointed one only a few months ago.

Liverpool and West Ham have already made their move by acting quickly. Jurgen Klopp and David Moyes have been
replaced with Arne Slot
and Julen Lopetegui respectively.

Chelsea are reportedly in conversations with Enzo Maresca
, who has just led Leicester City back into the Premier League, about replacing the
sacked Mauricio Pochettino
after he left last week.

Kieran McKenna
is expected to remain at newly promoted Ipswich Town, as per BBC Radio Suffolk, despite being on Chelsea’s shortlist and also being linked with Brighton. Differences of opinion with the club hierarchy over recruitment has forced Roberto De Zerbi to part ways with the Falmer Stadium club.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are still
mulling over the future of Erik ten Hag
who
won the FA Cup title
on the weekend but oversaw the club’s worst league season in 34 years. De Zerbi is believed to be one of the contenders to take over from the Dutchman.

Crystal Palace, who finished the season in 10th, are now managed by Oliver Glasner, who had been appointed after coming in for Roy Hodgson.

Maresca to Chelsea?

Maresca was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City for the 2022-23 season, only to split and make his own way in coaching. At Leicester, he employed a distinctly Guardiola style of play and
brought the Foxes up
in their first year in charge.

Now Maresca to Chelsea is all but done after the Blues reportedly made an official approach on Monday.

Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali will hope Maresca fits into the team’s leadership structure better than Pochettino, whose relationship with the hierarchy seemed to break down by the end of his only season in charge of a club that has spent more than $1 billion on new players in the new regime.

Chelsea have had four managers already since Boehly took over the club from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

What’s happening at Manchester United?

Manchester United have a big decision to make. After seeing the club lift the FA Cup title, Ten Hag didn’t wait around. Instead, the former Ajax manager jetted off on a much-needed break as the club considers his future. Though, a second straight title may not make up for a woeful Premier League campaign.

Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s new co-owner and in charge of football operations, has some thinking to do. Especially with the FA Cup win coming against Manchester City, of all teams.

United have been linked with De Zerbi,
former Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel
as well as McKenna, a former United assistant coach.

Across Europe

The managerial merry go around is true in other European leagues as well. Bayern Munich, who
parted ways with Tuchel
, are looking for a new boss and have
set sights on Vincent Kompany
, who recently led Burnley into the Premier League only to get relegated after one season.

In Spain,
Barcelona have sacked Xavi Hernandez
just weeks after
publicly backing his U-turn on leaving the job
. Hansi Flick, the former Germany and Bayern Munich manager, is a strong favourite to take over.

Sevilla manager Qique Sanchez Flores has already left the club with mutual consent at the conclusion of the campaign.

In Italy, AC Milan and Juventus are also without managers after
Stefano Pioli was shown the door
by the San Siro club after two years. Former AS Roma manager Paulo Fonseca is reportedly set to come in. Over at the Turin-based Juve,
Massimiliano Allegri was sacked
after three years for his outburst during and after the
Coppa Italia final
. This despite ‘The Old Lady’ winning the domestic cup title.