With the European campaign set to officially end after the UEFA Champions League final, here are six top managers who started the 2023/24 season on the touchline but ended it unemployed.
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On Tuesday evening, Chelsea, after the finishing the Premier League season on a nine-match unbeaten run, announced that Argentine tactician Mauricio Pochettino had left the club by mutual consent. The news has taken fans around the world by surprise, and it seems to have even caught some of his now-former players off guard, with both Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson having expressed their shock on social media.
Rumours suggest the 52-year-old and Chelsea's hierarchy couldn't find an agreement as they mulled over the idea of continuing their working relationship, with Pochettino already linked with a number of top jobs around Europe. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss has been linked with the Bayern Munich job recently vacated by Thomas Tuchel, who also heads into the break without a club.
The German, at one point, looked close to continuing at the Bavarians after the club's failed pursuit of multiple candidates until Tuchel announced in a press conference last week that he and Bayern officials could not find common ground on terms going forward. The 50-year-old leaves the German giants after just 61 matches in charge.
Brighton Hove Albion, meanwhile, have bid farewell to Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, whose departure from the Seagulls raised some eyebrows considering it does not appear the 44-year-old has a better opportunity lined up. He won't be short of suitors, of course, after taking Brighton to Europe last year for the first time in the club's history playing excellent football. Pep Guardiola has been vocal about his admiration for De Zerbi, saying in April that, despite Brighton losing many players at the start of the season, their unique style of play is always clear for everyone to see.
At Anfield on Sunday, an emotional send-off for Jurgen Klopp marked the end of nine incredible seasons for Liverpool fans, who unsurprisingly turned up in numbers to bid farewell to the enigmatic German who, in 2020, ended the club's agonising 30-year wait for a Premier League trophy. Right now, it doesn't look as though the 56-year-old will be returning to the dugout any time soon, having said he is ready to take a major break from the sport. Klopp has also insisted he will never work for another club in England, making it unlikely he ever works in the EPL again.
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Over in Italy, legendary manager Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties at Roma in January and heads into the off-season without the need to plan for the 2024/25 campaign, while Juventus recently sacked Massimiliano Allegri following a fallout. The Italian leaves the Bianconeri after winning 12 trophies in two separate spells, including an impressive five Serie A titles.
