Top 5 out of work coaches
With the end of the season approaching and clubs looking to move managers on ahead of 2017-19, AS takes a look at five of the most in-demand.
The season is drawing to a close and there are plenty of managers on the market jostling for position at the front of the queue for a new gig in 2017-18. AS takes a look at five who are likely to be in demand this summer.
Claudio Ranieri
The Italian achieved the impossible with Leicester City last season, guiding the Foxes to the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time. However, reality came back to bite Ranieri swiftly and he was sacked with Leicester flirting with relegation. Ranieri is a hugely experienced coach and the former Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus, Inter and Monaco boss will have no shortage of offers.
Possible destinations: Las Palmas, Valencia, West Ham, Southampton.
Laurent Blanc
The World Cup and European Championship-winning former France defender and coach has been out of a job since being sacked by PSG, where he enjoyed his greatest successes as a manager. Blanc’s coaching mettle became apparent at Bordeaux, where he guided Les Girondins to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de la Ligue double in 2008-09. He led France to Euro 2012 as group winners but left after Les Bleus were knocked out of the final tournament at the quarter-final stage by Spain. At PSG Blanc led the club to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de la Ligue wins and two Coupe de France triumphs. However, Blanc’s inability to take PSG past the quarter-finals of the Champions League led the club’s owners to discard the Frenchman for Unai Emery in June 2016. Although he has never coached outside of France, Blanc has plenty of European experience having played for Manchester United, Barcelona and Inter.
Possible destinations: Barcelona, Inter, AC Milan.
Juande Ramos
The former Sevilla, Spurs and Real Madrid boss’ stock has fallen slightly after his latest Liga foray at Málaga ended prematurely but he remains one of the most successful coaches in recent Liga history, having guided Sevilla to two Uefa Cups, a European Supercup, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Supercup. Ramos has experience of several European leagues and will be of interest across the continent.
Possible destinations: Las Palmas, Sevilla, CSKA Moscow, Dnipro, Rubin Kazan.
Marcelino García Toral
The former Villarreal coach will not be without his suitors after his career trajectory, based on possession play and attacking football. Marcelino guided the Yellow Submarine back to Primera after joining in January 2013 and then achieved three consecutive top-six finishes and took the side to the semi-finals of the Europa League. He was surprisingly dismissed after the opening game of 2016-17 due to a spat with the board.
Possible destinations: Sampdoria, Las Palmas, Sporting Gijón, Zaragoza.
Cesare Prandelli
The former Italy, Parma, Roma and Fiorentina coach quit Valencia after just three months of an aborted attempt to revive the Liga club’s fortunes. Arguments with the board and problems in the dressing room saw the combustible Prandelli leave Valencia in a worse state than he found the club in but many have tried and failed to replicate Unai Emery’s success on the east coast. Prandelli’s reputation was forged at Fiorentina, where he guided the side to the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup and took them into the Champions League, and then with the Azzurri, who he led to the final of Euro 2014. Prandelli may be at the stage of his career where he considers a move upstairs somewhere having been out of work for a couple of seasons between Galatasaray and the Mestalla, but someone may take a punt on him.
Possible destinations: Fiorentina (director of football), Bologna, Udinese.