Well, it’s over. Claudio Ranieri’s reign as Leicester City manager has come to a disgraceful end, not long after receiving a ‘vote of confidence’ from the board – something which has turned out to be a death knell for many managers in the past. Just 297 days after leading the Foxes to the most unlikely of title triumphs, the Tinkerman’s sacking in this ignominious fashion has left a fair few shell-shocked.
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With this announcement coming just days after an uplifting performance in the Champions League round of 16 stage away to Sevilla, it seems as though the now sour mood may scupper their chances of progression in Europe’s top club competition. With Premier League survival also at stake, here are five managers Leicester could look to, to save their season and rebuild from next season onwards:
#5 Ernesto Valverde (Current Team: Athletic Bilbao )
The first candidate on this list is Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde. Having spent his entire playing career in Spain, particularly with Bilbao, it has been no surprise that he chose to take over the reins at the Basque club. His only footballing experience outside Spain, in fact, has been two separate spells in charge of Greek giants Olympiacos, where he won 92 of his 127 games, not a shabby record at all.
His career win percentage, ever since he started managing in 2002 stands at a commendable 50.32%. The Spaniard is in the 4th season of his latest spell with Bilbao and has managed to transform them from a decent, mid-table side to regular top-five challengers. Even if Leicester do indeed get relegated, he may be able to go about his work comfortably in the relative obscurity of the Championship.
#4 Ryan Giggs (Current Team: None)
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has seemed to be on the cusp of breaking through as a manager for a few seasons now. He was linked with the United job when Louis van Gaal was sacked and has reportedly been a favourite for clubs like Nottingham Forest and Swansea City.
He did take interim charge of United following David Moyes’ dismissal, eventually helping the club finish 7th in the league that season.
Having spent his whole career at the English giants, he has a vast storehouse of knowledge about the game, and in England, in particular. The Welshman has had the opportunity to work with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Louis van Gaal, both of whom are widely respected.
Giggs may be an untested manager, but it might be a gamble that could yet pay off for Leicester.
#3 Frank de Boer (Current Team: None)
Another unattached manager, though perhaps not for long, Frank de Boer has an impressive CV. He managed Ajax for six years, winning four consecutive Eredivisie title with the Dutch giants, with whom he spent a majority of his playing career as well.
He was approached by Liverpool in 2013, but turned down their offer, stating that he was not experienced enough. When he did leave, however, he went to Inter Milan in Italy, with whom he endured a poor spell, surviving only 14 games before being sacked, but not before he signed Gabriel Barbosa, one of the most coveted talents in South American football.
De Boer has shown a tendency for helping youth thrive, the best example of which is Christian Eriksen, now playing for Tottenham Hotspur; a player whose stock has skyrocketed. The former Dutch international also recently went on record saying that he would love to manage in England, so he would be unlikely to turn down such an offer. The 46-year-old may not obtain immediate results, but he could be a fantastic long-term investment.
#2 Sean Dyche (Current Team: Burnley)
A strong candidate for this post is the ‘Ginger Mourinho’, Sean Dyche, who has been in charge of Burnley since late 2012. In his career with the Clarets, he has achieved promotion from the Championship twice, in 2013/14 and 2015/16. And there is no doubt that due to his good work and with better talent at his disposal he could do better and Leicester undoubtedly have that.
Burnley’s spectacular home form this season is in no small part down to Dyche and his tactic. The Englishman has perfected the 4-4-2 system in England to a degree that any manager would find enviable. With those two banks of four, Burnley are very hard to break down, and this system could suit Leicester extremely well, with the pace of Jamie Vardy, Ahmed Musa and Islam Slimani more than capable of hurting teams on the counter.
It would be interesting to see if he were to be appointed immediately and how these tactics would work out in the Champions League.
#1 Julian Nagelsmann (Current Team: Hoffenheim)
Julian Nagelsmann is a name that has become increasingly well-known in footballing circles. When he was appointed manager by Hoffenheim in February last year, he took over the reins at the age of just 28, thereby making him the youngest manager in Bundesliga history. He, in fact, guided Hoffenheim to safety after they were seven points off survival with only 14 games left when he took charge.
The magic touch has continued this season when Hoffenheim were the last team in Europe’s top five leagues to be beaten in league competition. Nagelsmann has famously rejected Bayern Munich in the past, when they approached him to take charge of their youth team.
He is of the ilk of young German managers such as Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, both of whom have coached Borussia Dortmund. Nagelsmann actually learnt his trade under Tuchel when the latter was at Augsburg.
Leicester’s present situation is in a very similar situation to the one Hoffenheim were in a year ago – a turnaround which now sees them sit fourth in the Bundesliga table, level on points with Dortmund. At the age of 29, Nagelsmann has a long career ahead of him and Leicester could be the perfect stepping stone for it.
