Chelsea, Real Madrid & 10 top clubs who could replace their managers

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 1 May 2023 11:46 BST
• 6 min read

This summer could be one of the most eventful in recent memory when it comes to top clubs changing their managers.

From the Premier League to Serie A and La Liga, a host of elite managers are at risk of either being sacked or being pushed into a ‘mutual’ termination.

FootballTransfers looks at the high-profile managers whose jobs are on the line.

What managers have been sacked this season?

Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

After Graham Potter was sacked at the start of April, Frank Lampard was brought in as caretaker until the end of the campaign.

Any chance of Lampard getting the job permanently is already over as he has lost every single one of his five games in charge.

He was also eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals 4-0 on aggregate.

Mauricio Pochettino is the favourite to get the permanent job at the end of the season.

Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Jurgen Klopp will go down as one of the greatest managers in English football history after winning a Premier League and reaching three Champions League finals, winning one.

But everything has fallen apart this season. Liverpool currently find themselves seven points off the Champions League places with five games to go.

They are out of all cups and were thrashed 5-2 at home by Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 exit.

Klopp is coming to the end of his seventh season in charge at Anfield. There has been no suggestion from manager or club that the German will leave, and he does have a contract until 2026.

But given how flat things have been this season and the revolution required to rebuild the team, there are many who feel Klopp could walk away at the end of the season.

Ryan Mason (Tottenham)

Tottenham’s managerial situation has been a total mess in 2023. Antonio Conte was sacked after the club finally had enough of his repeated outbursts in public.

His assistant Cristian Stellini took over as caretaker until the end of the season but was then sacked himself, to be replaced as caretaker by Ryan Mason.

Mason will surely not get the job permanently, so Tottenham will hire a new manager ahead of next campaign.

With an ageing squad and Harry Kane likely to leave, this is not the most appetizing role on the market?

Christophe Galtier (PSG)

Christophe Galtier’s fate at PSG is already sealed after the club’s latest Champions League disappointment.

Any coach who takes over in Paris knows that if they fail in Europe, they will not keep their job. PSG exited without a fight in the last-16 against Bayern Munich.

PSG will win Ligue 1 once again but that will not be enough to save Galtier, who only was hired last summer.

Who will be next for this impossible job?

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

Carlo Ancelotti will likely have to win the Champions League again this season in order to keep his job at Real Madrid. And even then he may still leave.

That is the feeling in the Spanish media now that Barcelona are cruising to the La Liga title.

Ancelotti won the league and Champions League double in his first season back at Madrid last season but president Florentino Perez always wields the axe after trophyless campaigns.

Furthermore, Brazil have made Ancelotti their number one target for the vacant managerial post. They are keeping the position open until the European season ends in the hope of getting Ancelotti.

Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

Diego Simeone’s contract at Atletico Madrid expires in 2024 and there is no sign he will pen a renewal right now.

There have been persistent reports that after 12 years in charge of Atletico, Simeone may finally look for a new challenge in the summer.

It has not been a vintage season for Atletico as they are 17 points off La Liga leaders Barcelona and crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Max Allegri (Juventus)

Max Allegri’s first two years back at Juventus were nothing short of a disaster.

He oversaw Juve’s first trophyless season in 11 years last term as the Bianconeri finished fourth and were knocked out in the Champions League in the last-16.

This season started even worse as they were eliminated from the Champions League after gaining just three points from six group games.

A 15-point penalty for alleged transfer irregularities made things even more complicated, although they have provisionally received those points back.

Nevertheless, Juventus are still struggling to make next season’s Champions League and are on a terrible run of one win in eight games.

They were knocked out of the Coppa Italia semi-finals, and also there have been reports of key players like Federico Chiesa and Angel Di Maria being unhappy with Allegri.

Allegri still has the backing of the board but the fans have launched a social media campaign to get him sacked.

Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)

Simone Inzaghi seems more likely than not currently to leave Inter at the end of the season after an underwhelming campaign.

While the Nerazzurri have done well in the cups, lifting the Supercup and reaching the semis of the Champions League and final of Coppa Italia, they have underperformed in Serie A.

Inter have lost an incredible 11 games in the league, 22 points behind champions-elect Napoli and struggling to make the CHampions League places.

This has led to Inter considering whether Inzaghi is the right man to go forward with. Inzaghi himself also is not sure he wants to stay, feeling he hasn’t received the financial backing required to succeed. Inter have been in a period of austerity over the past two seasons, forced to sell star players and rely mainly on free transfers and loans.

Stefano Pioli (AC Milan)

Less than 12 months ago, Stefano Pioli was a hero after leading AC Milan to a surprise first Scudetto in 11 years.

Pioli has fallen well short of retaining the crown as Milan as they are 22 points behind Napoli and are fighting to finish in the top four.

Were Milan to fail to qualify for the Champions League, it would be a disaster for the club economically and Pioli would certainly risk the sack.

Milan are still in the Champions League, as they face Inter in the semis.

Jose Mourinho (Roma)

Another top Serie A team who could change their manager in the summer is Roma.

Jose Mourinho won the Conference League in his first season last term and is in the semi finals of the Europa League this time.

But Mourinho realises that in league play, Roma are miles away from competing to win the title as they are currently in sixth, although they could still qualify for the Champions League through the league.

Mourinho has seen the possible vacant managerial positions at Chelsea, Real Madrid and PSG and may fancy leaving to have a go one more time at an elite team.

He has only one year left on his Roma contract and has been increasingly irritated in recent weeks.