Chelsea FC: 6 People Who Could Replace Jose Mourinho
5. Antonio Conte
The former Juventus boss can be considered as the dark horse of this race. Antonio Conte was incredibly successful with the Old Lady, winning three consecutive Serie A titles. More impressively, Juventus was his first high-profile managerial job, having previously been in charge of Siena and Bari.
After resigning in July 2014, his achievements were recognised by his appointment as the national team’s coach. Conte has since led Italy to an undefeated EURO 2016 qualifying campaign, with seven wins and three draws coming in their ten games.
Given that a national job requires a limited amount of work, Conte may even be viewed as the immediate short-term replacement. Guus Hiddink proved that such a situation was possible during his first stint with Chelsea, as he managed Russia as well.
However, the appointment of Conte for the longer-term would probably involve a waiting game. With the EUROs taking place in the summer, it is unlikely that he will abandon the national team so close to the tournament’s start. The competition will finish in mid-July and if he were deemed to be the appropriate candidate, an announcement would only come after that.
Conte would certainly be an interesting choice, but the relatively inexperienced tactician may be the sole person hungry enough to take this hot seat.
Next: 6. Guus Hiddink