5 realistic replacements for Slaven Bilic at West Ham United

#2 Paulo Sousa

Paulo Sousa would command tremendous respect due to his playing career

A former Portuguese international who won Serie A with Juventus and the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, Sousa has already had experience in the world of English management, although it did come in the Championship rather than the Premier League.

Sandwiched between unsuccessful runs at QPR and Leicester City, Sousa had a remarkable 2009/10 season at Swansea City as he led a pre-Premier League Swans outfit to their highest league finish for 27 years to that point – 7th in the Championship.

Since leaving England after his Leicester tenure ended in October 2010, Sousa has proven himself further as an up-and-coming manager, winning two cups with Hungarian side Videoton, the Israeli league with Maccabi Tel Aviv, and the Swiss league with Basel. Most recently, he managed Italian Serie A side Fiorentina for two seasons, finishing 5th and then 8th in the league before being relieved of his duties.

While it’s true that Sousa’s reign as Fiorentina boss wasn’t overly successful – in the season before his arrival they finished 4th, a place above where he took them to – it gave the Portuguese boss more valuable experience and a man as well travelled – and well respected due to his illustrious playing career – could be tempting for a side like West Ham. His prior experience in England means he wouldn’t need to learn a thing about the culture.

The Premier League would be a big step up but it could be an opportunity for Sousa to really make a name for himself as a manager.