Football: Conte likely to be sacked, who can replace him?
Chelsea are most likely going to part ways with Antonio Conte. The last nail was the draw against West Ham, which means that the Blues would miss out on the top four spot. Conte's team were not clinical after Azpilicueta gave them the lead. Hernandez equalized for West Ham and held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw. If Conte is fired, who can replace him?
FA Cup glory will not save Conte's job
The draw leaves the defending champions 10 points behind Liverpool and Tottenham. This is the second time in three years that they have missed qualifying for the Champions League. Chelsea's season has turned out to be a complete disaster. However, they could salvage something from it, when they next face Southampton on Sunday in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
But who will be willing to take over?
Being Chelsea's manager is never an easy task. Conte is the 13th manager post the sacking of Claudio Ranieri in 2004. Conte has seen his predecessors booted out from the club. Jose Mourinho, Chelsea's most successful manager, was sacked just months after winning the Premier League. Roberto Di Matteo was axed after guiding Chelsea to their first Champions League. So who can replace Conte?
Chelsea owner has sacked some of the best managers
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ruthless and if the club manager does not bring in quick results he is fired. From 2004 to 2015, the Russian paid out approximately £71 mn in 'golden handshakes' to dismissed managers, at an average of £10.1 mn per sacking.
Former Barcelona manger Luis Enrique is a candidate
Luis Enrique should be the ideal man to take this job. This man is extremely competitive and despite taking a sabbatical from coaching after leaving Barcelona, he has been competing in marathons and triathlons to keep his competitive spirit alive. This is what Chelsea need right now. However, at Barca he had the best players, it's not the same at Chelsea.
Chelsea cannot afford to meet Luis Enrique's demands
At Barcelona, Enrique increased the speed of the team and as well as their fitness levels. With Messi, Neymar and Suarez, Barcelona were quick on the counter. Chelsea will have to rebuild the entire squad to fit the requirements of Luis Enrique and with the proposed Stamford Bridge revamp, the club will face scarcity of funds.
Massimiliano Allegri is the most likely candidate
Massimiliano Allegri of Juventus is reportedly keen on succeeding Conte at Chelsea. He did the same at Juventus in 2014. Conte had won 3 back to back Serie A titles and Allegri bettered his record by winning three straight doubles and also took Juventus to two Champions League finals. He was Chelsea's first choice before hiring Conte in 2016.
Leonardo Jardim is the man Chelsea needs
Monaco's Leonardo Jardim is the surprise candidate in this list. Jardim, who unlike the rest has no professional football experience, began coaching in his early 20s and slowly rose up the ranks. He impressed with Sporting in Portugal and then moved to Monaco. His biggest achievement came last season when Monaco trumped big-spending PSG to the Ligue 1 title.
Chelsea's youth would love this man
Leonardo Jardim has been praised for his management abilities. He took a team of youngsters and made them French champions. This season despite losing half of his first team players to Europe's bigger clubs, Monaco are still second in the Ligue 1. Chelsea need someone like him since they have been criticized over the years for not giving their youth enough chances.
