Chelsea: 3 favorites to replace Mauricio Pochettino

In an unexpected twist, Chelsea have announced the departure of their manager Mauricio Pochettino following a 11-month tenure at the club. The Argentine assumed the role last summer, but the team's failure to meet its targets, notably missing out on the Champions League qualification, prompted discussions between both parties, culminating in a mutual agreement for his departure.

Despite spending much of the season in the bottom half of the table, Pochettino led the team to a respectable Europa League spot with five victories in their last seven games. This development comes as a shock to Stamford Bridge faithful, who had finally seen the team click under Pochettino's management.

However, with owner Todd Boehly facing scrutiny for frequent managerial changes, the club's performance is being directly impacted. Given Chelsea's recent struggles, the decision to appoint a new manager will be closely watched.

The options range from experienced candidates to those who bring a fresh perspective. We look at three favorites to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.

#3 Sebastian Hoeness

Sebastian Hoeness led Stuttgart to an extraordinary second-place finish in the Bundesliga, surpassing giants Bayern Munich. This achievement marks Stuttgart's first Champions League participation since the 2009-10 season.

Hoeness, who began his managerial career with Hertha Zehlendorf's Under-19 team and RB Leipzig Under-19 team, took over Bayern Munich's reserve team in 2019. He started his managerial career at TS Hoffenheim in 2020, succeeding interim manager Matthias Kaltenbach.

During his tenure at Hoffenheim, the 42-year-old led the club to an 11th-placed finish in the league but did not make significant progress in domestic competitions. Following another midtable finish at 9th in the following season, Hoeness and Hoffenheim parted ways in 20222.

Eleven months after his departure from Hoffenheim, Hoeness received an offer from Stuttgart in April last year. He took over the team when they were at the bottom of the table, managed to guide them to the relegation playoffs, and successfully secured another year of top-flight football in Germany by overcoming Hamburg.

#2 Vincent Kompany

Despite facing relegation, Vincent Kompany is a wanted man.

Vincent Kompany is among the top candidates to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, according to the Guardian. The Belgian international, who faced relegation with Burnley from the Premier League this season, has been attracting interest from clubs such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Despite spending over £100 million in the transfer market, the 38-year-old managed to secure only five league victories for Burnley.

Kompany began his managerial career at Anderlecht, where he delivered a respectable performance before moving to Burnley in 2022. He successfully led the Clarets to promotion by surpassing the 100-point mark.

However, his tenure in the Premier League did not go as planned, resulting in Burnley's relegation back to the Championship.

#1 Kieran McKenna

Kieran McKenna has remained light-tipped about his future.

Kieran McKenna led Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions, securing a long-awaited return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.

According to the Guardian, McKenna is attracting interest from at least two clubs, notably Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea, who are both without managers after parting ways with Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino, respectively.

Despite the rumors, the Ipswich boss said (via Metro):

"I know what we’ve achieved isn’t a normal thing so there’s always going to be speculation. But that’s not where my focus is… tonight is about what we’ve achieved over the last couple of seasons. It’s been a wonderful couple of years so tonight is about celebrating that. I know everyone is looking forward to next season and I know the club is going to be in a really good place going into that season."

McKenna began his managerial career with Tottenham Hotspurs' Under-18 team before moving to Manchester United Under-18 in 2016. After two years as a youth team manager, he became Jose Mourinho's assistant ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

Despite Mourinho's departure, the Northern Irishman was retained as assistant manager by subsequent managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. He left the Red Devils in 2021 before creating history in Portman Road.