FOOTBALL LONDON
Chelsea’s search for a new manager continues and fresh names are still being linked with the role vacated by Graham Potter over four weeks ago. Mauricio Pochettino is the new favourite for the job after Julian Nagelsmann backed out of the running but a surprise third choice has arisen.
It was long believed that Nagelsmann was the front-runner for the role having been sacked by Bayern Munich following a run that threatened their Bundesliga and Champions League aims. The 35-year-old has since come out of the race to be the third permanent head coach in 10 months under Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital.
Luis Enrique was also amongst the early contenders but has since dropped out. Outsiders Vincent Kompany, Ruben Amorim and Oliver Glasner have also been discussed but one name was reported as being a mystery and surprise even after the latest Nagelsmann update.
That man appears to be the less known figure of Ange Postecoglou. Who is he, why do Chelsea want him and is there a chance he could be in the Stamford Bridge dugout?
At 31, Postecoglou was forced into retiring early but was quickly appointed as manager of South Melbourne, a club he represented nearly 200 times during his playing days. Now 57, the Athens-born boss is currently managing Celtic and has a 12-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Over 32 league games this season the Glasgow side have won 30, losing one and drawing just one ahead of Saturday’s game with Motherwell. Other than defeats in the Champions League – in which they were handed a tough group alongside Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk – the Hoops have lost no other games.
It is a continuation from Postecoglou’s first season in which he oversaw a comfortable title win. In total he has an incredible domestic record of 93 games played, 76 wins, eight draws and nine losses. Across nearly two years in Scotland he is close to winning back-to-back league titles as well as the League Cup in both seasons too.
