10 managers we want to return during the 2023/24 season
As managers far and wide prepare for the upcoming 2023/24 season, there are many bosses that have been left twiddling their thumbs in the overcrowded Job Centre.
Yet, if the previous season’s tally of 74 departures in the top-four tiers of English football is anything to go by - August 2022 to July 2023 - then unemployed managers won’t have to wait long until a new opportunity pops up.
Below we bring you our annual list of 10 managers of different nationalities, operating at various levels, whom we want to see back prowling the touchline next season, whether that’s in England or abroad.
What a weird season it was for Graham Potter who made the high-profile move from Brighton to Chelsea, where he signed a lengthy five-year contract, only to suffer the sack six months later following a return of 12 wins from 31 matches.
It was undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow for Potter who remains an attractive prospect despite his Blues set-back. The 48-year-old has opted for a period of rest and recuperation since April, despite being linked with a truck-load of clubs.
Expect the emotionally intelligent and forward-thinking coach to feature prominently in the manager markets next season.
2. Julian Nagelsmann
Another in-demand manager is Julian Nagelsmann who, like Potter, was widely expected to return to the dugout ahead of the new season after he was sacked by Bayern Munich in March.
The talented and innovative young coach, who was hotly linked with the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham, could well still be wounded after losing his dream job at Bayern.
Despite only being 36, he’s already crammed in an intense and action-packed seven years at three different clubs. It will definitely be interesting to see where he ventures next - especially considering that he’s never worked outside of his homeland - as he bids to sink his teeth into a new project.
3. Ruud van Nistelrooy
It’s fair to say it was a huge surprise when news broke that Ruud van Nistelrooy had left PSV in May after just over a year in charge.
With just one game of the season remaining, 2nd-placed PSV revealed that van Nistelrooy had decided to leave “due to a lack of support within the club”.
During his short but successful spell, the former Man Utd and Real Madrid star won both the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was not the only surprise departure in May, when we also saw Oliver Glasner exit Eintracht Frankfurt just a year after he won the Europa League.
The club didn’t seem too happy by the manner in which Glasner’s troops had tailed off during the second-half of the 2022/23 season, but it was more the timing of the decision that was questioned. The announcement came in early May when Frankfurt revealed that Glasner would leave at the end of the season, which certainly can’t have helped their preparation for the DFB-Pokal Final; a match they lost 2-0 to RB Leipzig.
One of many managers to be linked with Spurs over the summer, it surely won’t be long until the Austrian returns to the managerial spotlight.
5. Marcelo Gallardo
Currently enjoying a sabbatical after a staggeringly successful eight-and-a-half-years at River Plate, Marcelo Gallardo is definitely a manager to keep an eye on next season.
The 47-year-old won 14 trophies with The Millionaires, twice winning the Copa Libertadores, and he even has a rather interesting statue dedicated to him.
In the past Gallardo has been linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and PSG, while more recently he’s been on the radar of various Premier League clubs. Simply put, whoever eventually snaps up the iconic Argentinian will be getting themselves a superb manager.
Initially handed the tough task of resurrecting a Bournemouth side that had just been smashed 9-0, Gary O’Neil deserves immense credit for the fantastic job he did in leading the Cherries to Premier League safety (15th).
Highlights include a 1-0 win over Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and 3-2 victory at Spurs, while many throught O’Neil should have been in the mix for Manager of the Year.
Then, just a few weeks after the season had finished, Bournemouth unexpectedly revealed that they had sacked O’Neil and replaced him with Andoni Iraola. A brutal decision.
O’Neil, 40, will still be digesting the shock news, but he can take real pride in the work he did in difficult circumstances. He’s more than proved he has the ability to operate at Premier League level, meaning it suely won’t be long until he finds himself back in work.
7. Antonio Conte
"Tottenham's story is this: 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?"
This was just one of many quotable outbursts used by Antonio Conte in the weeks leading up to his Tottenham exit.
Back in March, the Italian became the latest high-profile appointment that ultimately failed to propel Spurs to silverware following a tumultuous 16 month spell.
The Spurs stint may have been underwhelming but Conte is an excellent tactician who has won five major league titles and three domestic cups in two countries since 2011.
Never say never, but a return to England anytime soon seems unlikely. Taking another job in Italy appears to be the most likely option - potentially a second spell at Juventus should Max Allegri leave - while one of the many Saudi clubs could try their luck.
8. Igor Tudor
Marseille have experienced some pretty eventful managerial departures in recent years.
In February 2021, Andre Villas-Boas, who finished 2nd in his first season, offered his resignation in a press conference due to the behind-the-back signing of Olivier Ntcham. Instead of accepting his resignation, the club promptly suspended then sacked him.
His replacement, Jorge Sampaoli, then surprisingly quit last summer after leading the club to 2nd. Again, the issues were believed to be around the club’s transfer business.
Fast-forward to 2023 and it’s Igor Tudor who has left now the club due to “private and professional reasons”. Like his predecessors, Tudor led Marseille into the Champions League.
Tudor accumulated a 56% win rate, which included eight wins in a row between November and January, while his side dumped PSG out of the Coupe de France.
The Croatian is a big personality who previously spent nine years as a player at Juventus, a club he will no doubt be linked to if Allegri leaves.
On 4th May, Luciano Spalleti was celebrating Napoli’s stunning Scudetto success having delivered the Naples club their first title since 1990.
Less than a month later he confirmed that he would be leaving Napoli in order to take a break from management.
The Italian is keen to have a year-long sabbatical with a view to returning to the dugout in time for the 2024/25 season, however, we very selfishly would love him to make a high-profile return at some point next term, preferably in England.
Expect the Italian, who has reportedly already turned down a big-money move to Al-Ahli SC, to be catapulted into the mix as soon as a major European vacancy opens up.
The Premier League experienced a record-smashing 15 managerial departures last season, while a whopping 59 managers have vacated EFL posts throughout the last year, one of which was Leam Richardson, who was sacked by Wigan back in November.
The Latics sent their manager packing just six months after he led the club to League One glory, was subsequently handed the division's Manager of the Year award, then proceeded to sign a new three-year deal in October.
At the time of his dismissal Wigan had just dropped into the Championship's relegation zone, however, the general consensus at the time was Richardson deserved a lot more time to get results on the board.
Wigan's decision ultimately backfired as Richardson's replacement, Kolo Toure, failed to win any of his nine league games and was axed two months later. They improved under Shaun Maloney but it wasn't enough to see them stay in the second-tier.
Unsurprisingly, Richardson has since had his name bandied about in various EFL manager markets, but he's yet to make his return.
There are, of course, a multitude of other managers super-glued to the Job Centre right now.
From former Premier League bosses Jesse Marsch, Frank Lampard, Rafa Benitez, Scott Parker, and Ralph Hasenhüttl to the French trio of Zinedine Zidane, Christophe Galtier, and Julien Stéphan.
Elsewhere, the likes of Philippe Clement, Chris Wilder, Dean Smith, Javi Gracia, and Nathan Jones will all be eyeing up a job in the near future.
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