Departing bosses
Southampton replaced Mauricio Pellegrino with Mark Hughes earlier this week, a move which amounts to a final throw of the dice by a club battling against relegation from the Premier League.
It’s relatively rare for bosses to be shown the door at this late stage of the season, but there will be plenty of changes in the dugouts around Europe come the summer. In this slideshow, we pick out nine managers who are unlikely to be in their current jobs at the start of 2018-19.
Sam Allardyce (Everton)
After failing to lure Marco Silva or Paulo Fonseca to Goodison Park in the autumn, Everton turned to Allardyce in the belief they were set for a season of struggle. Yet by the time the former England boss assumed control, the Toffees were five places above the bottom three – which meant the club’s fans were always less likely to tolerate Allardyce’s pragmatic brand of football.
The 63-year-old hasn’t exactly aided his cause by criticising supporters’ expectations, which he recently implied were unrealistic. A parting of the ways would probably suit all parties this summer.
Unai Emery (PSG)
Emery may not have been instantly sacked following PSG’s Champions League elimination in the round of 16, but a 5-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid means it’s only a matter of time before he gets the bullet.
A failure to take the French giants to the next level in Europe means the former Sevilla manager will be dismissed regardless of the fact his side look set to win Ligue 1 with ease. An inability to manage the egos in the dressing room hasn’t helped, although that sizeable task may be beyond even the best bosses in the business.
Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
Conte’s exit before the start of next term has looked inevitable for some time now, with the relationship between dugout and boardroom seeming irreparably damaged. The ex-Juventus chief has been frustrated by what he perceives to be inadequate financial support, with Roman Abramovich unwilling to give Conte more control over transfers despite last season’s title triumph.
Alessandro Costacurta, the Italian FA’s vice-commissioner, has already claimed the former Azzurri boss is the organisation’s No.1 choice to return to the role, while Conte has also been linked with PSG, Inter and Milan.
Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich)
Arturo Vidal was the latest Bayern Munich player to publicly implore Heynckes to extend his third spell as manager into the 2018-19 campaign, a hope which is shared by those who sit upstairs at the Allianz Arena.
The veteran German has done a fine job since replacing Carlo Ancelotti in October, taking Bayern through to the last eight of the Champions League and to the verge of yet another Bundesliga crown, but he’s always maintained he’s only in it for the short term. At 72, it would be a surprise if Heynckes agreed to stay on beyond this season.
David Moyes (West Ham)
“I didn't do enough due diligence before taking the Sunderland job,” Moyes said at his unveiling as West Ham boss in November. “I came back and made a poor choice in the club I chose.”
Recent events in east London would suggest the Scot has made the same mistake again, joining West Ham at a time when supporter mutiny against the ownership was bubbling dangerously under the surface. The out-of-form Hammers are in massive trouble in their battle against the drop; even if they do stay up, Moyes – who signed an initial six-month contract – may not be overly keen on the idea of sticking around for much longer.
Alan Pardew (West Brom)
Many of West Brom’s failings this season predate the arrival of Pardew in November, but the former Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss has been utterly unable to instigate a turnaround. The Baggies have won just one of 16 Premier League matches under their new manager, who has also had to deal with several off-field incidents during an eventful four months at the helm.
West Brom are (as of mid-March) eight points adrift of safety and seem certainties for relegation, so it would make sense for the board to begin making preparations for next season in the Championship. Those plans may very well not include Pardew staying on as manager.
Peter Stöger (Borussia Dortmund)
A poor run of form between October and December brought an end to Peter Bosz’s employment at Signal Iduna Park. It came as a susprise when Stöger – who’d recently been sacked by last-placed Koln – was chosen as the Dutchman’s successor, but the 51-year-old has stabilised the club and made Champions League qualification more likely than not.
Nevertheless, there are still question marks over whether Stöger is the right man to lead Dortmund into next season, with the Austrian having been criticised for his preferred style of play. His departure isn’t inevitable, but BVB may be tempted to look elsewhere in the summer – with Huddersfield's David Wagner among the mooted managers.
Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
The calls for Wenger’s head aren’t exactly new, but the calls for the long-serving Frenchman to step aside have increased significantly in recent weeks, with Arsenal losing the League Cup Final to Manchester City and suffering a meek defeat by Brighton in the Premier League.
There have been some suggestions that Wenger may yet see out the final year of his contract if Arsenal win the Europa League, thus qualifying for the Champions League, yet the desire for change could prove overwhelming. After 22 years at the helm, Wenger looks to be approaching end in north London.
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid have flattered to deceive in La Liga this season, falling 15 points off the pace and effectively seeing their title hopes ended before Christmas. Their continued participation in the Champions League has saved Zinedine Zidane, although a quarter-final exit to Juventus would leave the former France international under severe pressure once more.
Indeed, a failure to go all the way to the trophy in Europe could result in the notoriously trigger-happy Florentino Perez bidding Zizou adiós. Or perhaps Zidane himself will conclude his future lies elsewhere after two and a half energy-sapping years in the Bernabeu dugout.
