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We are into the business end of the season and it is that time of the year when teams put their foot on the pedal to end the year on a high. Sometimes that's not the case though, as managers start to feel the heat, and the team falters and fails to meet the expectations.
This causes unrest among the club owners and piles the pressure on their managers. A year-long work often comes to nothing, owing to lackluster performances and disappointing results towards the end of the campaign.
In a bid to start afresh, clubs often feel the need to bring in a new manager and start from scratch. The replacements can be tricky because if they can't find the right man, the repercussions could be catastrophic.
Many a time, clubs end up appointing the wrong person. This is because they feel the compulsion to replace their current manager, but at the same time, have a limited pool of managers to choose from.
This summer though, this could end up not being the case as many top managers are looking for employment. Here's a look at 5 such managers who are free this summer:
#5 Peter Bosz
Although a relatively new name to many, Petr Bosz is a highly experienced manager who started out his professional managerial career in 2002 with Dutch club De Graafschap. The manager was sacked by Borussia Dortmund last year, following a difficult start to this season.
He has previously been at the helm of Heracles Almelo, Vitesse, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax. One of the highest points in his career came in the 2016-17 season, when he finished runner-up in the UEFA Europa League with Ajax.
The young side was brilliant throughout the tournament, but had to settle for second place as they were comfortably beaten by Manchester United. Immediately following his success, he was roped in by the Borussia Dortmund board to replace the outgoing Tuchel.
Bosz is likely to eye a return to management and although no club is yet to express a concrete interest in the manager, he may be a wanted man come summer.
#4 Laurent Blanc
During his playing days, Laurent Blanc was a more-than-decent defender. He was part of the legendary France team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He also had decent spells at Barcelona and Manchester United..
He started his managerial career in 2007 at Bordeaux and finished second in his debut season. They went on to win the league and the league cup the next season. This sudden rise profited him largely, as he was appointed the manager of the French national team.
He led the side in the Euro 2012, but was sacked following a defeat to Spain in the Quarter Final.
He returned to club management with PSG in 2013 and enjoyed three highly successful years. He perhaps played the most important part in PSG's transition to a big club. During his tenure, he led them to 11 major trophies including three consecutive league titles.
He left the club by mutual agreement after failing to go past the Quarter Finals of the Champions league.
Despite being a free agent for two years, he has constantly been linked with moves to some top European clubs. There were rumours of him taking USA's managerial post but he would also be open to a return to club management this summer.
#3 Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel started his top-flight managerial career in 2009 when he took over German club Mainz 05. Before that, he had been a central figure at the reserve team of FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart. He is known for giving importance to youth players, and has aided the development of players like Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
He was appointed as the manager of Borussia Dortmund following Jurgen Klopp's departure to Liverpool. They had finished seventh in the league the season before, and Tuchel was quick to revitalise the squad.
His emphasis on attacking football matched the philosophy of the club's and they finished second in the league owing largely to the chemistry between two players- Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
They slipped to third the following season, but won the DFB-Pokal. He was sacked three days after the victory, because of strained relationship with the board and the club's hierarchy.
The manager will definitely be back into management this summer and many clubs are after the German, of which most notable are Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
#2 Luis Enrique
A fantastic player, Luis Enrique, donned the jersey of Barcelona as well as that of Real Madrid and enjoyed success with both. He was primarily a midfielder, but was versatile enough to play in many positions. He played over 550 games in his club career, scoring 144 goals and also has 62 caps for Spain.
He had two managerial stints at Roma and Celta Vigo before his incredibly successful tenure at Barcelona. In his three years at the Catalan club, he led them to nine trophies, including the treble in 2014-15. It was an incredible period that won him many personal accolades as well, the highlight of which was being voted as the FIFA Coach of the year in 2015.
He announced that he will be moving on when his contract expired after the end of the 2016-17 season.
He is perhaps the most sought after manager currently and many top clubs are vying for his signature. He is heavily linked with a move to replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea next season.
#1 Carlo Ancelotti
Ancelotti is, without question, one of the greatest managers of our time. The master tactician has amassed 19 titles in a managerial career that is nearing 25 years. He is the only the second manager to win three UEFA Champions League titles, and has won domestic titles in Italy, Germany, France, Spain and England.
His stint at AC Milan is the benchmark for his successors till date. The team was renowned for having one of the best defensive units of all time and he led them to 8 major titles in as many seasons and won the Champions League twice.
In 2009, he was appointed the Chelsea manager following the sacking of Guus Hiddink. He won the double in his debut season in England but was sacked after the 2010-11 season when they finished second.
A two year stint at PSG followed, where he won the league in 2013, before moving to Real Madrid to replace Jose Mourinho. This switch re-ignited his career, as he led them to a historic tenth Champions League title.
He also won the Copa Del Rey, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. However, he was sacked after the next season as he was not able to replicate the same success.
He was appointed as the manager at Bayern Munich ahead of the 2016-17 season and led them to the league title the same season. But a series of uninspiring performances in the league and in the Champions League group stages this campaign led to his dismissal in 2017.
Carlo Ancelotti has taken almost a year off and is now ready to return to the big stage. A host of clubs including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal have been linked with the Italian and it remains to be seen where he will end up next season.
