Having controversially sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea Football Club go into tonight’s tricky FA Cup replay clash against Birmingham in a state of some chaos. Ex-Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed interim manager until the end of the season but all the talk is of who will replace Villas-Boas as next permanent manager. Lots of big names are being bandied about but the question many sports writers is asking is whether any self-respecting top-level manager will actually want to accept the job, given the reported level of dressing room disquiet and owner Roman Abramovich’s increasingly poor reputation in the game.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who enjoyed a hugely successful spell as Chelsea boss remains the club fan’s firm favourite but newspapers are today also heavily linking the club with moves for Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola and Germany manager Joachim Loew. Meanwhile frontrunner Rafael Benitez has declared his interest in taking the reigns at Stamford Bridge.