A World Cup summer often means a lot of managerial changes and so we’ve got out the crystal ball to see where some famous faces could end up.
It’s a particularly volatile time for managers with the Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid bosses all going and in six months, the merry-go-round could be back underway.
Here’s who we reckon will be where come the first day of next season.
Arne Slot – Out of work
While their form has picked up a little in recent weeks, it is still hard to see Slot surviving beyond the summer.
Had he not won the league the season before, failing to at least challenge for the title after a summer spending of £450million would be grounds for instant dismissal.
The sudden availability of Xabi Alonso will only have put more pressure on the Liverpool boss and even an FA Cup win is unlikely to save him.
Pep Guardiola – Manchester City
There’s been a lot of talk about a post-Pep City but there is not much to suggest he would walk away in the summer.
He has a deal until June 2027 and throughout the entirety of his career, he has never left before a contract end.
So you can expect to see Guardiola in the dugout again next year for what could be his last season in football management.
Xabi Alonso – Liverpool
Alonso is not the first Madrid boss to lose the player power battle with the dressing room and his sacking will have done the club more reputational damage than to him.
Alonso going to Liverpool was an idea suggested two summers ago before the Madrid move came about and now that his time at the Bernabeu is over, him taking over from Slot at Anfield seems a logical move.
He may want a break, but the nature of his dismissal plus the chance to manage a former club may prompt him into a quick return.
Hansi Flick – Barcelona
The two-horse nature of Spanish football means either Real Madrid or Barcelona are always in crisis, depending on which one of them is trailing.
This season, it is Madrid’s turn to have a meltdown with a Super Cup defeat enough to see off Alonso but not everything is perfect over at Barcelona either.
The Catalans are only four points clear of Madrid and are 15th in the Champions League, but it would take an almighty capitulation for Flick to lose his job in the summer.
Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
Arteta’s Arsenal future very much comes down to what silverware the Gunners win this year.
There’s no denying that the Spaniard has done well since taking over in 2019, but there are legitimate questions over whether he can go the final step and win the big trophies.
He is in a good position to do exactly that this season with the team six points clear in the league and top of the Champions League standings.
If he wins at least one of those trophies, then he is surely set to stay. But another trophyless year and Arsenal may have to say thank you but goodbye.
Thomas Tuchel – Manchester United
When England hired Tuchel and gave him a contract that lasted until the end of the World Cup, it was clear what the goal was – win or bust.
Whether England do lift the trophy for the first time in 60 years or not, Tuchel will most likely leave the role after the summer, making him an attractive option for several top clubs.
Of those, Manchester United should be going all out to sign the German. Unless they can’t resist the charms of Michael Carrick.
Wayne Rooney described him as the “outstanding candidate”, and his success with Chelsea in Europe showed he can get a squad moving in the right direction.
But would he want to work with the Glazers? Tuchel has a reputation for falling out with club hierarchies and could be put off after reading about Ruben Amorim’s experience.
Raul – Real Madrid
In the wake of Alonso’s sacking, Madrid were quick to announce that Alvaro Arbeloa would be taking over, but his appointment screams of a temporary one before a more permanent replacement in the summer.
Madrid’s preference to let the players rule the club means getting the right coach can be tricky, as can convincing them to join.
There are rumours Carlo Ancelotti may return and Jurgen Klopp always seems to get linked to this particular job, but Raul may work.
His playing career should demand the respect of the dressing room and he spent six years as Madrid’s academy boss.
Gareth Southgate – Out of work
Southgate’s continued link to the Manchester United job suggests he would consider a move to Old Trafford but in our predicted future, it is Tuchel who gets the gig.
Away from United, Southgate has made it clear he is not hugely fussed about a return to management having left England in the summer of 2024.
He said his next job may even be out of football last November, so don’t expect to see him on the sidelines anytime soon.
Zinedine Zidane – France
Even with him being linked to every big job, Zidane has been waiting on the sidelines since 2021 for a reason – he wants the France job.
He has had to wait patiently with Didier Deschamps having been in charge of Les Bleus since 2012, but this summer’s World Cup will be his seventh and final major tournament.
Zidane has been billed as the natural successor, so expect to see him installed in the days after Deschamps’ departure.
Mauricio Pochettino – Tottenham
Of all the predictions, this one may be the most fanciful, but stick with us.
Pochettino is currently serving as US boss ahead of their home World Cup and things have not been exactly smooth sailing since he joined with some suggesting he has not earned his reported $6m salary.
His contract with the national team runs through to the end of the World Cup and it seems unlikely to be extended bar a miraculous run, so where better to go than to a club that loves him?
Tottenham are in desperate need of an injection of hope and optimism and bringing back the manager who took the club to a Champions League final could achieve that.
Will it work or end in spectacular failure? Even if he didn’t win anything, at least be some positivity around the place.
Lee Carsley – England
If Tuchel does go, the England job will once again be vacant.
But with no immediate need to seek out a replacement, Carsley may be asked to step in again on a caretaker basis.
He may opt to be given the job on a permanent basis, but Tuchel’s appointment showed the FA were willing to go outside their pool for a top name.
Eddie Howe is often linked but it would appear too soon in his career to switch to club management.
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