There have been managerial overhauls this week across Europe, potentially game changing for some clubs
As the 2017/2018 season draws to a close, some clubs are considering getting a fresh air of change in their managerial position. While some managers have performed outstandingly this season, others have failed to live up to the club's expectations.
Some clubs have already acted on this desire, and brought new managers to their clubs. It will be interesting to see how these changes affect the overall performance of the club. Let's take a look at the managerial transfers which have happened across Europe.
Arsenal appoint Unai Emery
Following Arsene Wenger's iconic 22 year run at Arsenal, and the mixed reactions of fans for a long time, Wenger announced it was time he called quits at the club. Wenger won 3 Premier Leagues with and 7 FA Cups at the club. The 17/18 season was not exactly the way he would've liked to quit the club, with Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup courtesy to a 4:2 loss against Nottingham Forest, and being knocked out of the Europa League by eventual champions Atletico Madrid in the Semifinals stage.
Wenger's replacement is Unai Emery, who came in from Paris Saint-Germain. Emery won the domestic treble with Paris in France, winning the Ligue 1 title, the French Cup and the Coupe de la Ligue. Emery lead his club to the Champions League Round of 16, where they failed to progress further, being thrashed by Real Madrid in both legs. Unai is expected to change things around at the club, and a lot will be expected from the former Sevilla coach.
Ancelotti appointed as new Napoli manager
Former Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti was announced as the new manager by Napoli, sacking Maurizio Sarri. Sarri was pretty impressive this season, leading Napoli to a respectable 2nd place behind 7th consecutive Serie A champions Juventus. Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis praised Sarri for his contribution to the club, and thanked him for the prestige the fans have earned worldwide. Sarri is being linked with a move to Chelsea to replace Antonio Conte.
Bayern Munich decided to part ways with Ancelotti after their disappointing 3:0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc de Princes. Even at the start of the season, all was not right between the players and the Italian coach, as many players complained about Ancelotti's laid back style of training. Dutch winger and former Real Madrid man Arjen Robben went to the extent of stating that better training was offered at this son's club. This culminated in the eventual sacking of Ancelotti and the return of Jupp Heynckes, who guided Bayern to their famous treble in 2013. The question remains whether Ancelotti will be able to regain his momentum with the Italian side.
DFB Pokal Cup winner Niko Kovac to take charge at Bayern Munich
Following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, Bayern were in desperate need of a new manager, and while deputy coach Willy Sagnol did take charge for a few weeks, the need of a main man was still felt. This lead to the return of Jupp Heynckes for his 4th spell at Bayern, who lead Bayern to their famous 2013 treble. Heynckes managed to turn the game around for a somewhat lost Bayern side, leading them to win the Bundesliga a 6th consecutive season. Bayern did reach the Champions League semifinals, but were eliminated by Real Madrid, and lost the DFB Pokal Cup final to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Despite the request of many club officials as well as the players, Heynckes insisted that he was there to take charge only for the remainder of the season, and would retire after that. Bayern soon announced that the new man coming in would be Niko Kovac, former Bayern Munich player. Kovac's Frankfurt side defeated a strong Bayern side by 1:3 in the DFB Pokal Cup Final. Kovac will have a lot of eyes on him as the fans expect the Croatian to improve the performance of the German giants.
While Sarri is a favorite to join Chelsea, current Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is the most likely candidate to take over at Paris Saint-Germain, who are currently without a manager. All sorts of rumors are popping up about Arsene Wenger. While some suggest he may take over another Premier League club, other reports suggest he could join the German Bundesliga to coach Borussia Dortmund, who are likely looking for a replacement for Peter Stoger. A lot of interesting transfers are yet to be seen, as the transfer window progresses.
No comments:
Post a Comment