From Brendan Rodgers to Julian Nagelsmann – top contenders for the Tottenham job
Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Tottenham manager after a run of one win in six games.
Mourinho was brought in to replace Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019 and left the club days before they face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final. Here are the possible contenders to replace him.
Julian Nagelsmann
The German is the hot favourite for the position in north London and is understood to be the club’s first choice in replacing Mourinho. He has been named ‘Baby Mourinho’ as aged 33 he has developed a reputation as one of the best young coaches in Europe. He took RB Leipzig to last season’s Champions League semi-final and are on course to finish second behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season. He has said he would be keen to manage in the Premier League and a move to Tottenham could be a good step on the ladder, especially as he plays an attacking brand of football, something the Spurs fans are desperate for.
Massimiliano Allegri
If Daniel Levy wanted another big-name manager who knows how to win titles then he would not need to look much further than Allegri. The 53-year-old has been out of work since leaving Juventus in 2019, where he delivered five successive Serie A titles. He also has spoken of his desire to manage in England and Levy has close experience of his talents after Juve knocked Spurs out of the Champions League in 2017-18.
Brendan Rodgers
The Leicester manager has been on Spurs’ radar in the past, but the fact that he is currently in employment could make this a difficult switch. Rodgers might be interested in a move to north London, despite the excellent progress he is making at the King Power Stadium. He knows his way around the Premier League, is good at developing players and plays attractive football.
Scott Parker
Despite Fulham battling against relegation this season, Parker has impressed with the way he has conducted himself in difficult circumstances. There is also the Tottenham link as he began his coaching career at the north London club before joining Fulham, having also pulled on the Spurs shirt in the latter part of his career. He is not the finished article, and may need an experienced number two, but he could be someone Levy takes into consideration.
Mauricio Pochettino
This would be a left-field appointment given it is less than 18 months since he departed, but Pochettino should not be ruled out of making a quick return to Spurs. Both Pochettino and Levy have spoken openly about their admiration of each other, with the Argentinian and his assistant Jesus Perez both saying that they will return to the club one day. This time may be a bit too soon, especially with Pochettino in a job at Paris St Germain and it would take some climbdown from Levy, but it would be an appointment that would go some way to appeasing a disgruntled fanbase.