Young Coaches in Line to Land Big-Time Gigs
Teams are seemingly always on the lookout for new managerial prospects. Regardless of who they might have in charge, it's rare when owners and teams aren't prepared to move on to greener pastures—evidence of which we've seen not only in the Premier League but right around the world.
The question then becomes who the new managers will be, and for many teams, the biggest task is about finding a new up-and-coming star.
Here's six young coaches who could be on the move to big-time jobs soon.
You'll note that coaches like Sami Hyypia (Bayer Leverkusen) aren't included on this list because they are already at a big-club playing Champions League football. We've also tried to eliminate anyone over the age of 50 here in defining a "young coach."
Read on to see who the new up-and-coming managers could be.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 7
Slaven Bilic, Besitkas J.K.
Bilic has more than 10 years experience managing several high-profile organisations, including the Croatian national team, Lokomotiv Moscow, and now Besiktas, and would certainly make for a strong coach anywhere around the world given his vast playing experience.
It's hard to see him making a big-time move just yet, though, with his deal at Besiktas not set to run out until the summer of 2016.
If the 45 year old has a good run of success between now and then, look for him to be an interesting prospect later on down the track.
Vítor Pereira, Al-Ahli SC
Thought to be one of the potential candidates to replace David Moyes at Everton, Vítor Pereira is certainly an interesting coach to watch. He's had strong success with FC Porto in the Portuguese competition, having come through the ranks there, and he's now in the Saudi Professional League with Al-Ahli SC, with whom he signed a two-year deal during the summer of 2013.
No doubt using the move to Saudi Arabia as a stepping stone to greater heights, it's unlikely that he'll walk out on that contract—meaning he's unavailable for the next 18 months. He could certainly be a tantalising prospect for several clubs by the summer of 2015, though.
Chris Powell, Charlton Athletic
Sven-Goran Eriksson said in 2010 that Powell "will be a very good manager in the future," and while it might not quite have transpired yet for the Charlton Athletic man, he's certainly a strong manager to watch over the next few seasons—especially in England.
Having played more than 650 games in England, Powell is certainly not short on experience and has achieved great success with the Addicks. His contract at the club—set to expire in the summer of 2014—is also interesting, making him a prime suspect to join a struggling Premier League team early next season.
Michael Laudrup, Swansea City
2 of 7
It's almost hard not to see Michael Laudrup moving on to a big club at some point soon.
Having tasted success with Swansea City in the Capital One Cup (leading to a berth in the Europa League this season), Laudrup has proven to be a savvy manager and very smart tactician—something that perhaps leads back to his strong showing as a player.
Linked with a slew of jobs, such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Valencia and Benfica, already in his career, it's inevitable that Laudrup will leave the Swans soon.
His contract, which expires in the summer of 2015, is thought to have a release clause similar to that of Brendan Rodgers when he was the manager at the Liberty Stadium. With Morten Wieghorst brought into the club as an assistant manager, it appears that the Swans have a very strong replacement ready should an offer come in for their current head coach.
He's definitely a manager on the rise.
Paulo Bento, Portugal National Team
3 of 7
Paulo Bento could be available very, very soon.
The former Sporting CP manager was linked with a number of jobs throughout his time at the club before taking up the position with the Portuguese national team.
With Portugal by no means guaranteed to progress to the 2014 World Cup, Bento could well be finding himself very popular next season, given his strong success and European experience throughout his time with Sporting CP in various UEFA competitions.
He's a bolter, but one who could certainly make a big-time move next season.
Dragan Stojkovic, Nagoya Grampus
4 of 7
When Arsene Wenger personally recommends you as the player that he'd like to succeed him at the Emirates Stadium (per Vecernje Novosti h/t ESPN), people are going to take notice.
That's exactly what happened with Dragan Stojkovic.
Having achieved great success as a player, Stojkovic has since spent time in various administrative and coaching roles, giving him great insight into the various aspects of the game.
He's won the J-League Manager of the Year award as well, and while it might not be next weekend that he's appointed as the new Gunners' boss, he's certainly a manager to watch.
If Wenger does stay on in North London, don't rule out another big club—be that in England or abroad—making a move for the 48-year-old manager either.
Filippo Inzaghi, AC Milan U/19 Team
5 of 7
With his deal as the under-19 manager for AC Milan set to expire in the summer of 2014, look for Filippo Inzaghi to be a hot prospect in managing circles—least of which being at his current club, where Massimiliano Allegri is coming under plenty of pressure and speculation as to whether he'll stay on as the boss of the Rossoneri.
At just 40 years of age, Inzaghi is incredibly young for a manager and has no doubt learned a lot in his time with the younger team at the San Siro.
If Allegri is asked to step down (or takes matters into his own hands in this regard), Inzaghi could well be the man who takes over for the current manager—be that in an interim role or in a more permanent role—next season.
Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton
6 of 7
The vast majority of Southampton fans—and football fans in general—were surprised and stunned when the Saints replaced Nigel Adkins with Mauricio Pochettino.
Now, the only surprise is as to how high Southampton is flying on the Premier League ladder.
As we've seen time and time again with managers who come in and have great success with a "smaller" club, it's only inevitable before they move on to somewhere bigger. It's not necessarily greed or the money—it's just the way it works; everyone moves up.
Where Pochettino will go, then, still remains to be seen. It's incredibly unlikely Southampton will qualify for European football this season or the next given the depth of talent in England, but they could certainly cause some problems for the big clubs, which will no doubt give Pochettino an even stronger resume for clubs in Spain, France or England to notice his good work even more.
And he's only 41.
Christian Streich, SC Freiburg
7 of 7
Fiery and enigmatic SC Freiburg manager Christian Streich has achieved a lot in the last 18 months. If you haven't noticed, it's time to recognise just what he's done at the club.
The 48 year old took over the first team in the winter break of 2012, with the club dead last. They finished the year in 12th with a 10-game winning streak and then followed that up with a stunning 2012-13 season that saw them come within a whisker of Champions League qualification.
He did sign a contract extension in the summer of 2013—the length of which nobody really knows—but even still, it's hard to see Streich not moving on soon.
Follow me on Twitter for more sports goodness @dantalintyre
