Chelsea FC: Mourinho, Guardiola and 10 Candidates to Replace Andre Villas-Boas

With Andre Villas-Boas’ sacking Sunday morning, one of England’s biggest clubs is without a manager. Villas-Boas’ assistant and ex-Chelsea player Roberto Di Matteo will fill in, but only on an interim basis.

Owner Roman Abramovich will spend the better part of this season and summer trying to find the man who will replace the Portuguese man. He has already reportedly approached former Liverpool boss, Rafael Benitez, but he turned it down, as they were unable to agree on terms.

With Abramovich’s money, power and ability to manipulate, there is an endless potential of suitors who could be in charge come the summer. Here is a list of 10, some likely and some far-fetched, but all have a reasonable claim.

Jose Mouirnho

When Mourinho left Chelsea back in 2007, his departure was nothing more than physical. His shadow still loomed large as ever over Stamford Bridge, and it was that which ultimately began the speculation around Villas-Boas’ future.

Mourinho has been linked with a move back to England as far back as a month ago, with a mysterious trip to London only creating more interest.

Conversations between players and himself became highly publicized when it was apparent Villas-Boas was losing the locker room. A story quickly brewed that the players who had been successful under their former boss like no one else were seeking and promoting for his return.

With the Telegraph already praising his return, he will surely be on the short list of potential candidates.

Pep Guardiola

Villas-Boas was hired to bring Chelsea into the new era, one that played a possessing game similar to the Spanish/Barca style. So what better manager to make that happen than the Barca manager himself?

Guradiola is an early favorite to succeed Villas-Boas at Stamford Bridge.

A source told ESPNsoccernet:

"

Roman (Abramovich) wants the best in the world, so Guardiola clearly fits the bill, if he can get him of course. There have been one or two English managers names put forward, like Harry Redknapp and Glenn Hoddle, but Roman and his advisors like the men in vogue and they are usually the foreign coaches.

"

No better foreign name than the most successful manager of the last few seasons.

This is made all the more interesting by Guradiola reluctant to sign a new contract at Nou Camp, which would make his move the Bridge cost efficient.

Finally, Guradiola could take it as a real chance to establish him as an all-time great. Doubters that suggest his success is directly attributed to playing with one of the best teams in the world could be silenced if he succeeds in London.

Fabio Capello

May not seem like the kind of hire that would work for the long-term, but obviously, Abramovich is not looking for that, with the way he dismissed Villas-Boas.

Capello brings with him everything Abramovich does want in terms of a resume—league titles with four different teams, European success and experience with his players.

Capello resigned from his position as the English boss due to how the FA handled the John Terry incident. He obviously has the back of the Chelsea captain, and Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are said to admire him as well.

It may not be a popular move among fans, but Abramovich has made it clear that the players' happiness is more important that the future. This move would reflect that.

David Moyes

The Everton boss is arguably the most underrated in the league. With a low bank roll, he has continued to make Everton a thorn in every team’s side and can never be underestimated.

He recently received the highest of praises any one manager could get, that from Sir Alex Ferguson. When discussing who will replace him when he retires, Ferguson said:

"

Some (managers) are doing great jobs with the resources they have and David Moyes has been unbelievable. I put him in the top six because what he’s done at Everton has been quite miraculous.

"

Maybe my American bias has me a little more liking Moyes than most, but with him pegged to succeed Ferguson by the legendary boss himself, he must be doing something right.

A little off the beaten path for Abramovich, but going after someone who could manage the competition in the future has more benefits than it may seem.

Harry Redknapp

The best time I can remember since the Mourinho era had to be when Guus Hiddink led them to an FA Cup. The team seemed at ease like never before, as the jovial disposition of the Dutchman eased tension after Scolari was sacked.

Chelsea need this kind of personality again.

Redknapp has always been described as lovable and stress free. This year, he combined it with some excellent tactics that have Tottenham in third place in the league and challenging for the FA Cup.

Chelsea were rumored to have gone after Redknapp this summer, but backed off. However, he may now be the answer, and Abramovich may not be as kind.

The uncle of Chelsea legend Lampard was most recently seen as the possible replacement for Capello in England, but he has decided that he wants to stay in the club game. That club, though, may change come this summer.

Jurgen Klopp

The Borussia Dortmund boss is the archetypal fit of the kind of manager Abramovich wanted Villas-Boas to be—young, energetic and a philosophy of quick passing high attack style.

More importantly, he has made his success out of developing young players.

Abramovich has clearly sided with the veterans on this issue, but he has been known to react to the moment. He could very well wake up tomorrow and believe that the future is still of the utmost importance.

Klopp would be a way of him still chasing that future, but perhaps with a manager that better suits the personalities of his players.

Not to mention Chelsea transfer targets Mario Goetze and Mats Hummels could follow their boss to London.

Frank Rijkaard

The man who is credited with starting in Barcelona what would become one of the best teams the game has ever seen could be an ideal look for Abramovich.

While Guardiola has reaped a lot of the benefits of Messi and Co., Rijkaard could be brought into Chelsea to replicate what he did for the Catalan side.

Rijkaard was first linked with Chelsea following the 2009 season as a replacement for interim Hiddink. He was then again suggested as a potential candidate this summer, as Hiddink himself praised him.

Most recently, he managed Saudi Arabia, but the country was knocked out of World Cup qualification last month. Likely, he will not be there much longer, and Chelsea would provide an excellent escape.

Roy Hodgson

It would be an ironic twist if the man who succeeds Villas-Boas is the one who ultimately got him fired, but it is possible.

Hodgson represents and almost uncomparable amount of experience, managing at the professional level for almost 40 years and all over the world.

He has had success here and there, but never sustained. However, he has never had the kind of financial support he would have at Stamford Bridge.

Ray Wilkins

If there was a moment where one could point to and say Chelsea started their fall from grace, it would be when Wilkins was surprisingly let go.

The glue of the team who Ancelloti described as “one of those select few, always present, noble in spirit, a real blue-blood, Chelsea flows in his veins ... without him, we wouldn't have won a thing".

Wilkins had been critical of Villas-Boas’ management of the players recently:

It's very important that when Andre is dealing with the senior players that those discussions have to take place. There has got to be conversation, and if Andre is asking for their opinion, then he shouldn't be too shocked when the opinion comes back because they are very powerful and very strong personalities, these guys he's dealing with.

It would be a long shot for Abramovich to concede his mistake, but Wilkins may be the only team that can get this squad back on track.

Roberto Di Matteo

Matteo is serving as the interim manager right now, and it will probably not go anywhere after that. The last interim manager, Avram Grant, got all the way to the Champions League final and came within a slick Moscow pitch of winning, and he was replaced.

But if Matteo pulls off a miracle and does what no other Chelsea manager has, then he could keep the job.

Who Do You Think Will Take Over?

All these names have been linked to Chelsea in one way or another, but nothing has yet to be confirmed. So who do you think or want to be the new Chelsea boss?

As always, please leave your comments below, and thanks for reading!

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