Chelsea’s £20million compensation fee for appointing Graham Potter has caused many fans to ask if there weren’t better options available at a far lesser cost. Today, we will look at the 8 best managers currently without a job. Clubs such as Leicester, Aston Villa and perhaps even Atletico Madrid should be looking to these names should their form continue.
8. Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche recently revealed that he believes Burnley would still be in the Premier League if they hadn’t sacked him with only 8 games to go last season. Dyche was in charge of the Clarets for nearly a decade, with their relegation last season ending a run of 6 years in England’s top flight.
Burnley’s highest finish during Dyche’s reign was 7th in 2018, only behind the traditional big six clubs. The Englishman would be a sound option for a club fighting relegation as a long-term option. Even if the team does face the drop, Dyche has a decent record of getting his side promoted, doing it twice with Burnley in 2014 and 2016.
7. Scott Parker
Recently unemployed after Bournemouth’s 9-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool in late August, Scott Parker is a young and exciting manager that already has some pedigree in England’s second division.
During his first full season in charge of Fulham in 2019/2020, the former Spurs midfielder led his side to promotion to the Premier League. However, Fulham were relegated on their return to the PL and Parker was subsequently sacked.
In his first season at the helm of Bournemouth, Parker once again won his side promotion before his aforementioned departure. Just like with Dyche, Parker would be good for a club planning for life in the Championship next season.
6. Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa is somewhat of a legend of football. Many great coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino regard him as their inspiration and mentor.
The Argentinian coach has managed everywhere across Europe and South America. The former Leeds boss is known for his high pressing, high energy and fluid style of football that we saw from Leeds in their first campaign back in the PL in 2020/2021.
Bielsa doesn’t normally stick around at a club for that long, with his stint at Leeds being his longest at a single club throughout his career. But the former Chile and Argentina boss may be tempted to prolong his stay depending on the club. He would suit a team such as Leicester, who may need a different style of play to get the team firing again after things have recently gone stale.
5. Joachim Löw
Joachim Löw is without a job since his Germany side lost to England in Euro 2020 (in 2021). The World Cup winning manager was in charge of Die Mannschaft since 2006.
Having been in charge of a national team for 15 years, many would ask if Löw has what it takes to manage a club. However, the German’s record is fairly impressive, finishing 3rd in Turkey with Fenerbahçe and back-to-back top 4 finishes with Stuttgart in the late 90s, as well as DFB Pokal with the German club.
Löw will probably find himself at the helm of a Bundesliga club next, with Bayern’s alarming form at the start of the current campaign putting the German on alert for a potential job opening.
4. Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez has been unemployed since a disastrous spell at Everton saw the Spaniard lose his job last season. However, many believed the appointment was a calamity waiting to happen given Benitez’s Liverpool links.
The ex-Reds coach has an impressive CV, working at a host of Europe’s top clubs, including the aforementioned Liverpool, Real Madrid, Inter, Chelsea, Napoli and Valencia.
Benitez was in charge of Newcastle United before his stint at Everton. In Tyneside, he showcased his ability to stabilize a team in the Premier League on a very limited budget, given the exploits of ex-Magpies owner Mike Ashley.
Benitez would be a good, accomplished appointment by any club given the versatility his shown throughout his managerial career.
3. Mauricio Pochettino
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is without a job since he left PSG at the end of the last campaign, despite the Argentinian leading his side to Ligue 1 glory.
During his time in France, Pochettino picked up three pieces of silverware. However, it is somehow his trophyless time at Spurs that makes him an attractive proposition to some of Europe’s elite clubs.
Pochettino solidified Spurs’ position as a big six club in the Premier League by consistently finishing in the top 4 throughout his reign. Spurs played attractive football and had a relatively young squad, with the likes of Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli still developing their game. Pochettino eventually took his side to the verge of European glory, losing 1-0 to Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.
The ex-PSG boss would be a good option for top clubs with young players looking to playing an attractive style of football. Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and even Aston Villa could do a lot worse than appointing Pochettino.
2. Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel was shockingly sacked by Chelsea earlier this month following a slow start from the Blues.
However, Tuchel will not be waiting long for his next role to come calling given his pedigree. The German coach won the DFB Pokal with Borussia Dortmund before landing in the PSG hotseat.
In France, Tuchel won Ligue 1 twice, along with a handful of domestic cups. He too took his side to the verge of history, coming short against Bayern in the 2020 UCL final.
It was his time at Chelsea, however, that placed Tuchel among the world’s best coaches. The German had a win rate of more than 60% during his 100 games in charge of the Blues. They made it to the final of every cup competition they participated in under Tuchel, bar the 2021 UCL. But the coach did of course get his hands on European success, winning the UCL the year before in Porto.
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid should all be keeping an eye out on Tuchel’s situation, given the uncertainty surrounding their manager’s long-term futures.
1. Zinedine Zidane
Former Balon D’or winner Zinedine Zidane is probably the most successful manager currently not in a hotseat somewhere in Europe. The Frenchman left Real Madrid after his second spell with the club at the end of the 2020/2021 season.
His stints in Madrid as manager was more historic than his time as a player, after Zidane led his side to back-to-back-to-back UEFA Champions League triumphs. Nobody had ever retained the UCL a season after they’d won it, let alone win it three times on the spin.
During his time with Los Blancos, he managed 263 games, picking up 11 trophies on the way, averaging a trophy every 24 games. Zidane also won a La Liga title in each of his stints at Real Madrid, either side of his year hiatus. Zidane was heavily linked with the PSG job before Christophe Galtier was appointed in the summer. It seems now as if the World Cup winner is eyeing the France National team job, however, he should be a priority for any top English or Italian teams that part ways with their coach in the near future. Chelsea before Potter would’ve suited Zidane, but now it is more likely Juventus after their sketchy start to the new season.