'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Several managers could lose their jobs in one of the most unpredictable football seasons in recent memory. That is because owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, last season ended late, so some of the big teams across the continent have struggled to be at their best this campaign.
As is often the case, when a team fails to meet expectations during a season, the buck stops with the manager.
Five managers who could face the sack this season
With more than half the season still to play, several managers of big clubs are hanging onto their jobs by the skin of their teeth and need a turnaround in their team's fortunes.
Trending
On that note, let us take a look at five such managers from across Europe who could lose their jobs by the end of the season.
#5 Ronald Koeman (Barcelona)
Ronald Koeman was appointed as the Barcelona manager in the summer of 2020, with the club seemingly in crisis, both on and off the field.
Koeman has dealt with some of the issues admirably well and finally seems to have stabilised Barcelona's results on the pitch as well. However, they are still only third in the La Liga, four points behind Atletico Madrid, having played three games more than Diego Simeone's side.
Even in the Champions League, Barcelona have a tough draw in the Round of 16, as a rematch of their classic 2016-17 clash against Paris Saint-Germain beckons.
Moreover, Barcelona are going through uncertainty due to the upcoming presidential election at the club. More than one candidate has been vocal about their preference for the Barcelona manager, something that doesn't make happy reading for Koeman.
#4 Antonio Conte (Inter Milan)
Antonio Conte is a manager under pressure after another failure in the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan.
In a group also containing Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Moenchengladbach, Inter Milan finished fourth in the group stage. That meant that the Nerazzurri will not play European football this season.
Inter Milan are currently second in Serie A, three points behind league leaders and city rivals AC Milan.
Antonio Conte was at loggerheads with the Inter Milan chiefs before the start of the season and was on the brink of leaving the job in the summer. However, with Inter Milan continuing to falter, anything other than a Scudetto victory could see the manager lose his job.
#3 Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
When Andrea Pirlo was appointed as the first-team manager at Juventus, several eyebrows were raised. The Bianconeri had sacked Maurizio Sarri despite winning the Scudetto and appointed a novice with no experience of coaching at the highest level.
Given that the level of expectation was set at Juventus with the sacking of Sarri, it is hard to see how the hierarchy will show any kind of patience with Pirlo if results continue to remain patchy.
Even though Juventus have two games in hand, they are ten points behind Serie A leader AC Milan. In addition, the UEFA Champions League represents an acid test for Pirlo.
Even if Juventus fail to win the Serie A title this season, if Pirlo leads them to glory in Europe, that would cement his stature at the club. However, with the way they have performed so far this season, it seems unlikely that Juventus would pose a threat to the big teams in the competition like Manchester City or Bayern Munich, to name a few.
#2 Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Frank Lampard is already under immense pressure at Chelsea. The Blues are ninth in the Premier League, with just 26 points from 17 games.
Lampard has the worst win percentage of any Chelsea manager in the Roman Abramovich era. So despite his status as a club legend, patience at the top is likely to be wearing thin already.
Especially when you consider that Chelsea spent around £250m on new acquisitions in the summer, Lampard's position is justifiably under threat for the way the club has performed so far this season.
The former Chelsea midfielder has been unable to get the best out of his big new attacking signings in Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. In addition, the defence, which showed signs of improvement at the start of the season, has once again started leaking goals, which is not a positive sign at all.
#1 Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
This is our most controversial entry in this list, as Pep Guardiola has only signed an extension to his contract at Manchester City this season.
However, the Spaniard's position could well come under threat by the end of the season. Last season, City finished 18 points off Liverpool in the Premier League title race. In addition, they also lost to Lyon in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League.
This season, they are definitely involved in a title race at this point. However, there is still more than half the season left to play, and Guardiola's big test will come in the Champions League again.
He has not yet led City past the quarter-final stage in the competition and has a point to prove himself, as he is yet to win the Champions League while managing a side without Lionel Messi.
If Manchester City do endure another season with just a domestic cup or two to show for their efforts, then it is plausible that Pep Guardiola's job could come under threat.
