It was perhaps only a matter of time before Jose Mourinho got the sack from Chelsea FC after their worst start to the season in 22 years. Nine losses in 16 matches is not something one would expect from the Blues.
In fact, only two other teams have lost more games than Chelsea FC in the Premier League this season — bottom clubs Sunderland and Aston Villa.
These are stats that one would not expect from Cheslea FC, and this seems to have lead to the sacking of Jose Mourinho. There are of course more reasons for the Portuguese manager being shown the door, and one of the main being pointed out is the fact that he has fallen out with many of the club’s players.
With Mourinho being sacked however, a pertinent question arises about who is likely to replace the ‘Special One’ at Stamford Bridge. We take a look at five candidates, whose resumes Roman Abramovic is probably going through right now.
Brendan Rodgers
The Northern Irishman has a reputation for sticking to his ideology of a certain style of football that entails a passing game, something that Chelsea FC have not often been privy to but have always desired. He had traveled extensively in Spain early on in his career as a coach studying the nuances of the game, and later went on to implement that in his managerial stints at clubs like Watford and Reading, before finally joining Swansea City where he struck real success, taking the Swans to the Premier League.
A three-year stint at a top club like Liverpool FC also showed that Rodgers is not someone who would give in on his philosophy of the beautiful game, even if he’s under huge amounts of pressure. Rodgers has been out of a job ever since being sacked by Liverpool FC, but his prior links to Chelsea FC where he was a youth coach under Mourinho himself, could see him end up at the Stamford Bridge. However, according to the Daily Metro, even if the Blues do sign with Rodgers, he would be a temporary signing at best.
Juande Ramos
The former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur manager has been out of a job, and is rumoured to be one of the candidates that Chelsea FC are looking at as a replacement for Jose Mourinho. Ramos is a widely experienced manager, who has been in football management for over two decades now.
Although he has never really stayed at any one club for a very long time, Ramos’s most famous stint came at Sevilla where he took over in 2005, and took the team to great heights in the Spanish and European circuits. Most notably, Ramos won back to back UEFA Cups (now Europa League) in the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, and also the Copa Del Rey in 2006/07. He also went on to win the League Cup in England with Tottenham Hotspur in 2007/08, before moving to Real Madrid.
Ramos’s agent is said to have traveled to London for talks with the top brass at Stamford Bridge, according to Spanish outlet AS. However, much like Rodgers, Ramos also seems to be only a stop-gap solution, if Roman indeed does pick him.
Carlo Ancelotti
. 
A man of Carlo Ancelotti’s stature can never be a stop-gap solution for any club, and Chelsea FC are set for a big fight with other top European clubs, if they hope to land the iconic Italian manager.
In Ancelotti, Roman Abramovich would have one of the most decorated and one of the most respected managers in Europe — one whom star player Cristiano Ronaldo warmly refers to as a “bear”. Having won the Champions League three times already along with a Serie A, a Premier League and a La Liga title to his name, it doesn’t really get much bigger than the “bear” himself.
One problem though is that Ancelotti has been linked with a move to FC Bayern Munich, where Pep Guardiola is yet to sign a contract extension. In fact, Spanish paper Marca has even gone on to report that the Italian has agreed on a three-year-deal with the Bavarian club which will be made public next week. However, one factor that may favour Chelsea FC is that Ancelotti has a house in London.
Pep Guardiola
There has been a lot of rumours about Pep Guardiola, who is yet to sign a contract extension with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The former FC Barcelona coach has been linked with a move to a host of clubs including the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea FC.
Regarded as one of the greatest tacticians in the world of football, Guardiola has perhaps won it all both in Spain and in Germany. He had famously gone on a one-year sabbatical after four intense seasons at FC Barcelona before joining Bayern Munich. After winning almost everything with Bayern Guardiola might just want a set of fresh challenges, and a move to the Premier League might just be the the apt one for a manager of his calibre.
Now of course, Pep Guardiola would be a long term solution, but he would not be available till summer 2016. However, the Catalan has already submitted a list of players he wants to sign, if he were to take over at Chelsea FC next season, according to Daily Mail. Known for working with big expansive squads, this comes as no surprise from Guardiola.
Guus Hiddink
The Dutchman is yet another experienced manager who has been linked to the Chelssea FC hotseat, and has been touted by the British media as one of the favourites to take Mourinho’s job.
With a managerial career of almost three decades, Hiddink is one of the most experienced chaps around and is currently without a job. Hiddink has won six Eredivisie titles, one European Cup with PSV Eindhoven, Euro 1996 with the Dutch national side, and an FA Cup in his short stint at Chelsea FC in 2009.
According to The Telegraph, Hiddink is the favourite to take over from Mourinho as the interim manager till the end of the 2015/16 season.
