Three of the biggest clubs in European football are all set to name a new manager ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The trio currently have a manager in post at the time of writing but all of them have announced they will be leaving come the end of the season, all for very different reasons.
In Jurgen Klopp’s case, the Liverpool boss is simply running on empty and for the sake of his health, he wishes to take a break from management. He told fans that he did not want to leave but he felt like he must. Xavi on the other hand believed that Barcelona needed a change in direction and this was combined with his general unhappiness in the role. He said that the managerial role at Barcelona came with unique pressures and that the Blaugrana are a club that “chews people up and spits them out.”
Finally, for Thomas Tuchel, this was very much of a case of him jumping before he was pushed. Following a key defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, which put a massive dent in Bayern’s title chances, there was much speculation he would be immediately shown the door. A few days later the club announced that Tuchel would not be sacked but would be instead leaving at the end of the campaign.
So, the situation is very different at each club. At Liverpool, the new manager has to fill the gigantic boots of a club legend who the fans adore. At Barcelona, the outgoing manager has told everyone what an awful job it is while at Bayern the new boss will have winning the league title as a minimum requirement.
Liverpool
Xabi Alonso is currently the bookies’ favourite to land the Liverpool job. Despite his relative inexperience, it seems like a good fit on paper. As a former and extremely well-respected Liverpool player, he would likely be given more patience and support than a completely new face. Knowing the club well before arriving, as well as being fluent in English, can only help too. He also plays an attractive brand of football and has done an outstanding job at Leverkusen. The German outfit are set for their first-ever Bundesliga title, ending Bayern’s 11-year reign in the process.
Although Leverkusen do not wish for him to leave, there is an assumption they will not stand in his way should he want to start a new challenge. Alonso’s current contract expires in 2026 so there would be some compensation for Liverpool to pay, but not likely the kind of money that would put them off. Reports that Alonso’s contract has a clause that allows him to leave specifically for Liverpool, have been dismissed.
Speaking in February 2024, Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes said he was “sure” Alonso would not depart in the summer but how often do clubs retain their manager in this situation? Also, saying anything but this would be an unwelcome distraction mid-way through the season. Until Leverkusen have their hands on the Bundesliga trophy, expect there to be little news from anyone inside Leverkusen about Alonso potentially leaving.
The only trouble with Alonso is that he’s also a top target for Bayern and it is unknown which option he prefers. Should Alonso wish to stay in Germany, Liverpool are likely to turn to Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim. Since relocating to the Portuguese capital the young manager has done a superb job, boasting a win ratio of 70% at the time of writing. This is a higher figure than any other manager since Mario Lino who was in charge between 1973 and 1974.
He won the Portuguese league title in 2020/21 and finds himself in pole position to claim another this year. Should his men hold their nerve, this may be enough to persuade the Liverpool bosses that he is a worthy alternative to Alonso.
Bayern Munich
We have already discussed why Alonso would be so highly sought after at Liverpool and many of the same reasons apply to Bayern. Another of Alonso’s former clubs, the prospect of taking over Bayern must be extremely appealing should he wish to stay in Germany. With the bookies, he is the shortest-priced option to be the next manager leading the Bavarian outfit and by a fair margin too.
Other strong-looking candidates appear limited but there are a couple of names that appear feasible. Sticking with the trend of young candidates, Sebastian Hoeneß of Stuttgart is one. He has worked with Bayern in the past as he was the reserve team manager for the 2019/20 season. The former attacking midfielder then moved to Hoffenheim where he did an okay but far from spectacular job. The 41-year-old has flourished since moving to Stuttgart though. Die Roten find themselves way above expectations in third place after 24 matches, a huge improvement on their 16th-place finish last season.
A return for Hansi Flick could be on the cards despite a fairly disastrous stint in charge of the German national team. The German FA are known for their patience but even they could not tolerate the poor performances witnessed under Flick, resulting in them firing a national team manager for the very first time. As bad as this spell was, do not forget that the 59-year-old did a superb job in Munich before switching roles. His win percentage of 81.4% is an all-time record for a permanent Bayern Munich coach and his attacking style almost averaged three goals scored per game.
Barcelona
As well as a possible tug-of-war over Alonso, there could also be a potential fight over Flick who is the current favourite to take over at Barcelona. His record at Munich makes him an attractive candidate but it is not known if the German would be interested in the role. Someone who might be more tempted is currently Barcelona B manager Rafa Marques. Promoting coaches internally is something Barcelona have done before, most recently with Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova, and he may well have some supporters within the club.
Roberto De Zerbi, who is also an outsider for both the Liverpool and Bayern Munich posts, is also someone who could be tempted by the position. Brighton will not let him go easily though and given Barcelona’s financial troubles this could be a potential stumbling block. Speaking of financial troubles, this is something that may put off some names eyeing up the vacant manager’s seat in Catalonia. According to a report by The Athletic, “Industry sources continue to insist that the only way for them (Barcelona) to break even is to sell first-team players.”
So, it is fair to say that now is not the best time to be accepting the managerial role at Barcelona. Due to this, it may be that Barcelona have to go for a less-established name who is happy to take on the pressures and the risk of a job in a bid to accelerate their career. Former Barcelona player Thiago Motta is one contender although he may be reluctant to leave Bologna given his success there. Another is Garcia Pimienta, former manager of Barcelona B who got his first taste of top-flight management when moving to Las Palmas in 2022. But whatever happens, it could be an interesting managerial merry-go-round this summer.