One of the most controversial World Cup tournaments has just reached its climax as the mouth-watering quarter-finals are currently on the menu in Qatar.
No matter the controversy, the first-ever winter World Cup has been full of shocks and upsets, as evidenced by group-stage eliminations suffered by non-other than Belgium and Germany.
While Hansi Flick retained his place in Die Mannschaft’s dugout despite the country’s underwhelming group-stage exit, Roberto Martinez stepped down as De Rode Duivels’ boss in the aftermath.
A race for one of the hottest seats in international football is already on, and with everything happening so fast in sports today, Belgium can ill-afford to drag the appointment of a new chief of staff on.
Though former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is on the shortlist to fill Martinez’s shoes, as per The Sun, several high-profile candidates are available in the market.
ESPN has listed four household tacticians that could return to management in 2023 after taking time off to reassess their options.
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino headlines the list after severing ties with Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2021/22 season.
Poch has emerged as a potential candidate to replace Gareth Southgate at the helm of England should the Three Lions fail to adhere to their ‘it’s coming home’ promise in Qatar.
Southgate has been under heavy scrutiny following England’s woeful Nations League campaign this year, yet a potential success in the Middle East could throw him a lifeline.
Thomas Tuchel, who parted with Chelsea on the back of the Blues’ embarrassing start to the 2022/23 season, is another big name on this list, with many seeing him as Flick’s successor.
While Tuchel looks like a perfect fit for Die Mannschaft’s bid to overhaul their squad following disappointing results at three major tournaments in a row, that prospect currently seems far-fetched.
After Germany decided to stick with the former Bayern Munich boss, Tuchel may have to look elsewhere to land a new gig, with Spain popping up as his potential landing spot in the future.
La Furia Roja entered the Qatar showpiece with high aspirations, but three successive matches without winning condemned them to another premature World Cup exit.
Following a penalty shootout heartbreak against Morocco, Luis Enrique left the managerial post at Spain’s national team and is tipped to take a sabbatical before diving back into management.
Although Spain handed over the managerial reins to former U21 coach Luis de la Fuente, there’s a feeling he won’t be Enrique’s long-term replacement.
Elsewhere, record-breaking manager Zinedine Zidane seems to be seriously contemplating a long-awaited return to the scene after leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
Heavily linked with several of Europe’s big guns, including Juventus and PSG, the Frenchman has reportedly been identified by his country’s national team as a perfect solution for the post-Didier Deschamps era.
Despite leading France to World Cup glory in Russia four years ago, Deschamps could face an uncertain future unless Les Bleus defend the crown in Qatar.
His side massively underperformed during this year’s Nations League group stages, clinging on to their League A status by the skin of their teeth, which threw the 54-year-old’s future into doubt.
As one of the world’s most prestigious managers, Zidane is a hot candidate to assume control of France’s national team, having already turned down an approach from Juventus earlier this year.
