2. Thomas Tuchel
Tenure: 2021 to Present
Record: 40-19-9
Replacing Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was always going to be a tough task for any manager moving into the permanent role in west London. However, that responsibility was given to former Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel after the club’s record goalscorer struggled to transition over to a touchline role with his beloved Blues. Even though Tuchel took over midseason, it took him just six months to write himself into the Chelsea history books.
When he was named Lampard’s replacement, the Blues faced an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League as they sat in ninth. However, Tuchel sorted out their leaky defence with his move to a three-at-the-back system and went unbeaten in his first 14 games across all competitions, conceding just twice.
It goes without saying that Chelsea hasn’t been perfect under Tuchel, particularly in attack. The Blues ultimately scraped into the top four in the first season, while also losing the FA Cup final to Leicester City, but the German did deliver the big one. His rock solid defense powered Chelsea to its second ever Champions League title with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto.
His first full season started with success too, winning the UEFA Super Cup on penalties and also securing the FIFA Club World Cup trophy—the first ever in the history of Chelsea. The Blues were flying in the early stages of the campaign, but they have experienced twist and turns as of late. Tuchel is currently experiencing a proper rocky patch as Chelsea manager, but he seems set to last (rightfully so) under new ownership, even with losses to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final. He’s also managed to bag the Best Men’s Coach in the World award for his contributions during his initial campaign with the Blues.