SO, JUST SEVEN month after winning the Premier League title, Chelsea have parted company with manager Jose Mourinho.
Sitting a single point above the relegation zone heading into the busy Christmas period, club owner Roman Abramovich is likely to already have a replacement lined up ahead of league games against Sunderland, Watford and Manchester United over the next 10 days.
Below, we run through five possible replacements for The Special One.
Guus Hiddink (1/5)
Having taken over the Blues as interim manager back in 2009, the Dutchman led them to FA Cup success and is favourite to come in on a similar short-term basis.
Vastly-experienced at the top level, 69-year-old Hiddink would be an ideal stopgap to steady the ship and is available after getting the boot from the Netherlands job back in June.
Carlo Ancelotti (8/1)
Among the few elite managers in world football, Carlo Ancelotti would be another man taking up the position for a second time if appointed by Chelsea.
The Italian led the London club to their first Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010 before being shown the exit door a year later.
Ancelotti is out of football since leaving Real Madrid in the summer and would undoubtedly command the respect of the dressing room.
Juande Ramos (8/1)
It may not be a name that you would expect to see on a list like this, but Spaniard Juande Ramos has emerged as a surprise candidate for the manager’s position at Chelsea.
Former Sevilla and Real Madrid boss Ramos, who won the league cup with Tottenham in 2008, has reportedly held talks with Abramovich about becoming the caretaker manager.
Left his last club, Ukrainain outfit Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, in 2014.
Brendan Rodgers (10/1)
Another unlikely option but we’ve seen stranger things happen in football down through the years.
Brendan Rodgers spent four years at the club coaching their youth and reserves teams before leaving to further his own managerial career.
Now a free agent after being replaced by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, the Antrim man is an outside bet to take the reins.
John Terry (40/1)
Back in 1998, then Chelsea chairman Ken Bates dismissed manager Ruud Gullit with one of his players — Gianluca Vialli.
Of course it would be a huge gamble to appoint a man with zero managerial experience when you’re effectively fighting relegation.
However, there is no denying the Chelsea skipper is a born leader and he clearly loves the club dearly.
Almost certainly won’t happen but imagine how much fun it would be!
Who would you like to see replace Mourinho?
