Chelsea targets Pochettino, Zidane after Tuchle sack

CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel has been sacked after his side’s 1-0 Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night.

Chelsea’s turbulent season stooped to a new low on Tuesday evening as they lost 1-0 to Dinamo Zagreb.

Mislav Orsic netted the only goal of the game in Croatia, with the 29-year-old giving his side all three points at the Blues’ expense. So, Thomas Tuchel now sacked, Express Sport will take a look at four candidates who may take over.

Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is currently a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain back in the summer, having failed to win the Champions League during his stint in France.

However, the Argentine’s stock remains high and he’s still rightly regarded as one of the best managers in world football.

Pochettino still did well enough at PSG, guiding them to the Ligue 1 title – having missed out on the prize to Rennes last term.

He’s previously managed in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham, steering the latter to the final of the Champions League back in 2019.

The 50-year-old is now likely to be a frontrunner for the job in the wake of Tuchel’s dismissal.

Zidane Zidane

Boehly has already been criticised for being attracted to big names as Chelsea owner, particularly after transfer deals for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Yet that’s unlikely to deter him from eyeing Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane, like Pochettino, is currently spending some time out of management – having last bossed Real Madrid before quitting the job in 2021.

He’s smashed his managerial career so far, winning three Champions League titles during his first stint at the Bernabeu and he’s also won two La Liga titles.

And with Chelsea previously courting Zidane when Roman Abramovich was owner, it’s possible interest will be reignited following Boehly’s decision to pull the trigger.

Graham Potter

Graham Potter’s work at Brighton has been nothing short of sensational.

They took a punt on the 47-year-old when they sacked Chris Houghton back in May 2019, with the Englishman previously spending just a year at Swansea.

But Potter has helped Brighton consolidate their place as a Premier League team, while also helping them shine early this season.

The Seagulls currently sit fourth in the league table, ahead of both Chelsea and Manchester United.

Potter isn’t a big name like Pochettino or Zidane – yet the work he’s done over at the Amex Stadium shows he’s worthy of consideration alongside the duo.