On Wednesday morning, Chelsea sacked manager Thomas Tuchel following the 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening Group E game of the UEFA Champions League.

Tuchel took over the club’s first team in January 2021 on an 18-month contract with an option to extend and replaced former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who was also sacked as the team’s manager.

Following massive spending on new players to the tune of over £250 million in the just concluded summer transfer window, the team has failed to impress in the current season, with Chelsea on their joint-longest run without a clean sheet in all competitions since he took over at the Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea announced that the rest of the coaching staff would take charge of the first team squad for their upcoming fixtures until a new head coach is appointed.

“Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach. There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made,” Chelsea said in their Tuesday statement. 

Immediately after the development, big names have been tipped to replace the 49-year-old German, including Brighton’s manager Graham Potter, Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, and former PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino but who will take over at Stamford Bridge?

Graham Potter

Potter’s exploits in the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion have landed him among the top contenders for the job.

The Englishman was appointed the head coach of Brighton in 2019 on a four-year contract and has since transformed them into a top team in arguably the best league in the world.

He led Brighton to their highest points (41) and goals (39) in the Premier League to finish 15th in the 2017/18 season.

In the 2021/22 season, he took the club to their highest Premier League finish in the history of the Seagulls. They finished ninth on the league table, scoring 42 goals and accumulating 52 points to beat the previous record of 41 points.

Zinedine Zidane

Zidane, 50, who is not currently engaged with any club moment makes him the highest favorite to occupy the position.

The Frenchman began his coaching career as Real Madrid assistant manager but left to work with Real Madrid youth team Castilla in 2014.

However, he was appointed the head coach of Real Madrid’s first team in January 2016 following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez.

The former Real Madrid coach quickly became a household name in the managerial role after leading the Los Blancos to three consecutive Champions League triumphs.

He has been out of work since he left Real Madrid in May 2021 after ending the 2020/21 season without a trophy.

Mauricio Pochettino

The Argentine has been without a club since he was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in July.

He was poised to join Manchester United as their permanent manager but the Red Devils decided to go for Erik ten Hang instead.

Pochettino is a top manager and proved also what he is worth during his time in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham.

In the 2013/14 campaign, he led Southampton to their joint-highest finish in Premier League history. The Saints finished eighth on the league table.

During his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he took Tottenham to their first-ever UEFA Champions League final in 2019 and also led them to a second-place finish in the 2016/2017 Premier League season.

Massimilano Allegri

The former Juventus head coach is a strong candidate for the job and his CV can attest to it.

The 55-year-old Italian is one of the most successful coaches in Serie A. He led AC Milan to the league triumph in the 2010/11 season and also won the Supercoppa Italiana during his stint at the San Siro.

Allegri moved to Juventus in 2014, leading the Old Lady to five consecutive Serie A titles, four consecutive Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles during both of his stints at the Juventus stadium.

He also took Juventus to the final of the UEFA Champions League 2014/15 and 2016/17, although they lost in both finals.

Allegri is currently without a club.

Brendan Rodgers

Roger once had a stint with The Blues when he managed the club’s Reserve team from 2006-2008.

With the uncertainty surrounding his future at Leicester City due to a poor run in the current season, the Northern Ireland man may make a shocking return to Stamford Bridge.

The 49-year-old shortly took charge of Liverpool’s first team but was sacked and subsequently moved to Scottish giants Celtic. He won the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup twice, and also the Scottish League Cup three times during his spell at Celtic Park. 

He has so far won the FA Cup and FA Community Shield for Leicester City.