Liverpool are in the hunt for a new manager after dismissing Brendan Rodgers following a poor start to the Premier League season. Here are five potential candidates for the job:
Jurgen Klopp
From Germany
Age 48
Teams managed Mainz, Borussia Dortmund
Klopp is an advocate of “heavy metal” football, a style of high-octane pressing football that saw Dortmund twice win the Bundesliga title and reach the 2013 Uefa Champions League final. His track record of crafting overachieving teams from relatively meagre resources will likely appeal to Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG). He has also spoken of his fondness for English football.
Carlo Ancelotti
From Italy
Age 56
Teams managed Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid
Ancelotti is well-known to English football fans due to a spell at Chelsea that yielded a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010. Famed for his wry demeanour and arched eyebrow, he has won the Champions League on three occasions as a manager. The Italian is thought to be ready to return to work after a back operation, but he does not chime as perfectly with the FSG philosophy as Klopp.
Frank de Boer
From Netherlands
Age 45
Teams managed Ajax
De Boer led Ajax to four straight Eredivisie titles between 2010 and 2014 before finishing second behind PSV Eindhoven last season. While he lacks top-level experience, having never coached in the Champions League knockout phase, he has a track record of developing young players. The Dutchman recently expressed interest in working in England and described Liverpool as a “fantastic club”.
Ronald Koeman
From Netherlands
Age 52
Teams managed Vitesse Arnhem, Ajax, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia, AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord, Southampton
He has inspired the south-coast club to overachieve despite the departures of several key players. They finished seventh in his first season and stunned Chelsea on Saturday with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. But he is barely a year into a three-year contract and does not appear to possess the ‘X factor’ that Liverpool are looking for.
Jurgen Klinsmann
From Germany
Age 51
Teams managed Germany, Bayern Munich, United States
The United States coach knows about English football from his two spells with Tottenham Hotspur in the 1990s. He laid the foundations for Germany’s 2014 World Cup success during his stint as national coach between 2004 and 2006. But his only experience of club management was a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich that lasted less than a year.
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