Chelsea Next Manager: Replacements For Roberto Di Matteo

By Tom Davidson /

1. Pep Guardiola

The Spaniard€™s appointment would immediately quell any furore over the treatment of RDM, such is the regard he€™s held in. Guardiola is currently out of a job, relaxing in New York with his family but it€™s not as easy as that though because he is adamant his 12 month sabbatical from football will in fact last 12 months (despite Abramovich€™s machinations). The club would have to put together one of the the most financially alluring packages ever offered to a manager in order to bring him to the Bridge before Christmas. The 41-year-old would doubtless relish the challenge at Chelsea and his sky-high reputation would perhaps mean players more inclined to sign for the West London club and he€™s instantly command respect from the dressing room; something successors such as Andre Villas-Boas struggled with. The cynic would also say that besides his reputation for good-looking success (something Abramovich is well-known to be desperate for) is also a reluctance to sign up for long-term contracts meaning that should his appointment not work out (very unlikely) then the severance pay wouldn€™t be quite as extravagant as those bestowed upon the likes of AVB and Carlo Ancelotti.