Chelsea: Contenders for the Blues' hot seat

The 2012-13 season has been a ‘mixed-bag’ for the European Champions. The Blues were in rampant form in the early stages of the season, playing some delightful football, throwing down the gauntlet to their rivals to keep pace. After splurging millions on ‘gen-next’ of the soccer world, not many argued that the Londoners would put an end to the dominance of the Manchester clubs. However, that fairytale run ended, rather abruptly.

A string of disappointing results in the “Bogey” winter period saw the blues being dumped out of the Champions League, having already surrendered their pole position in the league. The flamboyant owner was quick to wield his axe on the European winner Di Matteo, by replacing the Italian with Rafa Benitez in a bid to resurrect the silverware challenge. In his 6 months in charge, the Spaniard has done a reasonable job, guiding the club to a second successive European final (albeit the Europa League), giving them another shot at history to become the first club to win back to back European championships.

But given his love-hate relationship with the fans, it is unlikely that Benitez will be at the helm next season and the Blues would be weighing up their options to bring in a suitable replacement. Here’s a look at 3 managers who would be in the running to take over the reins at the London Club.

Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid)

The outspoken Portuguese has been linked to the Chelsea seat ever since Real Madrid’s defeat in the Champions League, with the 50 year old coach dropping enough hints that this could well be his last season in the Spanish capital. In the past few months, Mourinho has endured a rocky relationship with his players and a second stint at a club which he says is his ‘home’ might well be on the cards. The stumbling factor which might hinder the completion of the deal is the 20m Euros worth release clause inserted by Real Madrid in Mourinho’s contract. With the FFP lurking, it will be interesting to see if Roman Abramovich would be willing to pay a substantial figure to bring back the most successful manager in the club’s history.

Guus Hiddink (Anzhi Makhachkala)

The Dutchman is a known ally of the Chelsea owner, having stepped in to take charge of the club briefly in the 2008-09 season, guiding them FA Cup glory. Currently managing Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, Hiddink is likely to step down from his post at the end of the season and is bound to be on Roman’s shortlist. Rumours suggest, Hiddink is likely to be offered the dual role at Chelsea of being the club’s technical director and manager.

Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich)

The outgoing Bayern Munich boss has revolutionized the style of play of the German giants, guiding them to a second successive Champions League final and the Bundesliga title. The German coach, who will be replaced by Pep Guardiola, was all set to retire at the end of the current campaign, but if a club like Chelsea comes calling, he might change his heart. The disciplinarian, who is known to promote youngsters, could well be the man to bring back stability at Chelsea and help the club to build for the future.