 "Jurgen Klopp, Xavi Hernandez and Thomas Tuchel will leave their respective clubs at the end of the ongoing season. AP")
It has been a busy period of late for football managers across Europe as the 2023-24 domestic season enters its final stretch. Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, and so will Xavi Hernandez, who will step down as FC Barcelona manager. The latest to join that list is Thomas Tuchel, who will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
We now take a look at the managers who could exit their respective clubs and some who could join Europe’s top clubs:
Who is leaving?
Jurgen Klopp: Almost nine years after taking over as Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. Under Klopp’s regime, Liverpool have won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, apart from the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles. Much recently, he led Liverpool to League Cup triumph with a win over Chelsea.
Klopp, however, has said that he won’t be taking a managerial job for the next one year and will not manager another English club.
Xavi Hernandez: Xavi Hernandez led FC Barcelona to the LaLiga title last season despite financial challenges. However, the club legend will leave at the end of the season and said he felt “liberated” by the decision to do so. “You are made to feel every day that you are not good enough,” said Xavi.
Thomas Tuchel: Thomas Tuchel managed Bayern Munich to a 11th straight Bundesliga totle last season, but this time around, it’s been a different story. Bayern havehad a rather forgettable domestic season in the German top-flight so far, with just 53 points from 23 games and eight points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Who are in danger?
Many reputed managers in English top-flight find themselves in trouble, and one of them has been Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag. United crashed out of the Champions League group stage and top four finish still looks a distant dream, but the Red Devils can take inspiration from a run of six wins in eight games since the turn of the new year. Afterall, at least at the moment, Erik ten Hag and his support staff have the backing of new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.
Mauricio Pochettino and Eddie Howe, too find themselves in a tricky situation at Chelsea and Newcastle United respectively.
It’s in Italy where coaches at the big clubs are in the most precarious positions. Stefano Pioli (AC Milan) and Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus) are both under contract next season but could pack their bags in June if the season finishes badly for their teams. Napoli, whose title defence quickly turned into a disaster, are on the hunt for the right man long-term after sacking two coaches already this campaign.
Marseille are in the same boat in France after bringing in 70-year-old Jean-Louis Gasset -– the man dismissed by eventual champions Ivory Coast during the Africa Cup of Nations – following unsuccessful spells under Marcelino and Gennaro Gattuso.
Which managers are in demand?
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has built such an impressive record at the relatively modest Premier League side that his name has already been mentioned as a successor to Xavi or Klopp. However, the 44-year-old Italian is under contract at the club until 2026 after taking Brighton to sixth place in his first season.
A world champion in 2010, a double European champion in 2008 and 2012 and with two Champions League winner medals from 2005 and 2014, Spaniard Xabi Alonso won everything as a player. He has also made an exceptional start to his coaching career at Bayer Leverkusen who are undefeated this season and boast an eight-point lead in the Bundesliga over Bayern Munich. Klopp already views him as a potential successor at Liverpool. Alonso, however, recently extended his contract at Leverkusen until June 2026.
Thiago Motta has taken unfashionable Bologna to fifth in Serie A with a combination of attacking, attractive football. The 41-year-old has even been mentioned as a future coach at PSG where he spent a large part of his playing career.
Serial title winner Zinedine Zidane, who led Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles, is seen as a potential future coach of the French national team. Out of the game since 2021, his name is often discussed every time the coach of a big club is sacked. On Wednesday, he was already being linked with succeeding Tuchel at Bayern.
With inputs from AFP