Chelsea confident of quick manager appointment amid shock and sadness within the squad
Chelsea are confident of conducting a quick recruitment process to replace Mauricio Pochettino.
Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim, Ipswich's Kieran McKenna and Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeness are among the early names in the frame to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Girona's Michel and Leicester's Enzo Maresca are also in the running, while Chelsea's owners have long-term admiration for Brentford's Thomas Frank and respect for Burnley's Vincent Kompany.
Chelsea's owners believe they can move swiftly to bring in a new manager, having mutually agreed to part ways with Pochettino on Tuesday night.
Former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will not be a candidate to return to west London, despite his availability on leaving Bayern Munich. Tuchel's relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy fractured on his Stamford Bridge exit in 2022 and neither party would be keen for a reunion now.
Former Bayern and Germany manager Hansi Flick appears another option that would be a long shot for the vacant Chelsea job, with the Blues seeking a young, upwardly mobile coach who can grow with the club.
Pochettino has left Chelsea after a turbulent season, and halfway through his Stamford Bridge contract. Chelsea's players are understood to have been shocked and upset by Pochettino's departure, especially just as the 52-year-old had set the Blues back to winning ways.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are now seeking their third permanent manager in just 13 months and are under serious pressure to get this next appointment right.
Pochettino arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer when Chelsea hailed the coup of recruiting a "world-class coach". Crippling injuries and an imbalanced squad left Chelsea 11th at the start of April, only for Pochettino to turn things around and pull off an impressive run to the end of the season.
Chelsea lost just once in their last 15 league games as Pochettino secured European qualification, but the end result has still fallen short of demands.
Tensions had grown between Pochettino and Chelsea's co-owners and sporting directors, and differences in vision ultimately proved insurmountable. Pochettino has left on good terms and there were no rows with Chelsea chiefs Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano. Pochettino will be a man in immediate demand, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich retaining interest in his services.
In a statement last night, Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: "We would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service. He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best."
Pochettino said: "Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history. The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come."
