Roberto Di Matteo has been sacked by Chelsea following his teams 3 – 0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League and speculation is already rife as to who will take over at Stamford Bridge. With big names such as Pep Guardiola and Rafa Benitez heading a list of replacements.
Who's in the running:
Pep Guardiola - The Spaniard is thought to be Chelsea's first choice when it comes to replacing Di Matteo, the young former Barcelona manager has a hugely impressive CV, winning La Liga three seasons in a row, the Champions League twice, the Spanish Supercup three times and the Copa del Rey twice. Overall Pep won 14 trophies in 4 seasons as Barcelona coach and became the most successful manager in the clubs history. But it looks unlikely that Guardiola will cut short his sabbatical in New York so Chelsea may have to settle for someone else, for the time being.
Rafa Benitez - The former Liverpool and Inter Milan manager is now odds on favorite to become Chelsea's new manager, with reports stating that he could be in the hot seat as early as this weekend. Benitez has enjoyed indifferent times as a manager, although his career started brightly with Valencia, winning La Liga twice and the then UEFA Cup between 2001-04. Although Benitez couldn't deliver the Premier League to Liverpool many fans still regard his as one of the Anfield greats, his career high at the club coming when they won the Champions League in 2005, Benitez also delivered the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup whilst in charge.
Harry Redknapp - An outsider in the race to become Chelsea manager is former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp. Known for his attacking style of play and man management qualities many Blues fans would welcome the appointment. But with Roman Ambramovich being known for bringing in top quality managers with numerous trophies to their name it looks as if Redknapp doesn't quite have the pedigree Chelsea are looking for.
Latest odds for the next Chelsea manager from Betway:
Pep Guardiola 5/2
Rafa Benitez 4/5
Harry Redknapp 15/8
Click here to place your bets now!
