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The 2020-21 season has been one that has packed plenty of surprises. The repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic was felt across all the top leagues in Europe and it was a tough season to navigate on multiple fronts.
We have also seen quite a few managerial changes happen over the course of the campaign. It's a world that demands immediate results and managing football clubs at the highest level is one of the most high-profile jobs on the market.
Top European teams are in a constant hunt for silverware. If it seems to them that their current manager is incapable of delivering on that front, they will usually choose to pull the plug.
The season break is also a time for clubs to assess the achievements of managers and decide whether or not they want to stick with him. There's a good chance we'll see quite a few high-profile managerial changes this summer.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five huge managerial appointments that can happen this summer.
#5 Xavi to Barcelona
Ronald Koeman has done a decent job at Barcelona this season given the circumstances under which he took over as manager. However, due to several reasons including his falling out with several players and the Catalans' capitulation in the closing stages of the season, Ronald Koeman's future is now in doubt.
Joan Laporta is reportedly already looking for replacements. Xavi is the most prominent name among the list of potential replacements. But there are suggestions that the Barcelona board thinks Xavi is a bit too inexperienced at the moment to become the manager.
Xavi will also reportedly only take over when he feels he is ready but since Laporta is yet to publicly back Koeman, anything could happen.
#4 Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham Hotspur
You can't write it. Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in November 2019 and replaced by Jose Mourinho. Spurs played some dull and drab football under Mourinho and once it was clear that 'The Special One' wasn't the one to take the club forward, they sacked him too.
Ryan Mason was appointed as the interim coach but now The Guardian, among various other news outlets, claim that Spurs have held discussions with Pochettino over a sensational return. Pochettino is currently in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite having a star-studded lineup, Pochettino could only win the Coupe de France with PSG this season. In his defence, he replaced Tuchel as the manager of the club halfway through the campaig. But it's also suggested that PSG do not want to let Pochettino leave. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds over the next couple of months.
#3 Zinedine Zidane to Paris Saint-Germain
Zinedine Zidane has officially stepped down as the manager of Real Madrid. The Santiago Bernabeu outfit finished the 2020-21 season without a major trophy. They've gone trophyless in a season for the first time in 11 years.
Pochettino is reportedly holding talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a potential return to North London and if the deal does go through, then Paris Saint-Germain will have to find a new manager ahead of the 2021-22 season.
If Pochettino decides to leave Paris Saint-Germain, there is a good chance that Zidane might be requested to take up the job. It will be a gig with the kind of stakes that the Frenchman is familiar with.
PSG have plenty of top players on their payroll and are looking to win the Champions League. Well, is there anyone better in that regard than Zizou? It's difficult to argue with that.
#2 Massimiliano Allegri to Juventus
Juventus are reportedly all set to bring Massimiliano Allegri back to Turin. The club are ready to drop the axe on Andrea Pirlo after a rather underwhelming season. The Bianconeri have just about managed to qualify for the Champions League and several players have underperformed under Pirlo this past season.
Allegri won five back-to-back Scudettos during his time in charge of Juventus from 2014-2019. The Italian manager guided the side to two Champions League finals as well. He has been on a hiatus ever since leaving the club in 2019 and is still unemployed.
According to the Guardian, Allegri has verbally agreed to re-join Juventus and will put pen to paper soon.
#1 Antonio Conte to Real Madrid
After a couple of extremely impressive seasons at Inter Milan, Antonio Conte's departure comes as a bit of a surprise. The decision to mutually part ways came as his ambitions were simply at odds with Inter Milan's plans for the summer.
Due to their financial condition, Inter Milan have to sell players and make up €80 million through their sales. That would be hugely detrimental to Conte's plans as he'd have to let go of at least a couple of his best players.
Antonio Conte is now being heavily linked with Real Madrid. Conte has delivered success everywhere he has been at. He transformed the Juventus side into serial winners. The Italian manager then won the Premier League in his first season at Chelsea.
He subsequently returned to Italy and broke Juventus' dominance to win the Serie A title with the Nerazzurri. Conte is the kind of serial winner that Real Madrid would want to have at the helm with Zinedine Zidane having left the club now.
Conte has previously been linked with Real Madrid and has admitted that he came close to taking the job once.
