Coaching upheaval: Prepare for the 2026 managerial carousel
Prepare for a summer of managerial upheaval at some of the top football clubs globally, as Manchester United and Real Madrid are expected to face significant competition in their quest to appoint new head coaches.
The recent terminations of Ruben Amorim (United) and Xabi Alonso (Madrid) have initiated searches for new head coaches at Old Trafford and the Bernabéu, while Michael Carrick and Alvaro Arbeloa will oversee their respective teams until the season concludes.
With the futures of Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Arne Slot (Liverpool), and Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain) shrouded in uncertainty, the coaching recruitment landscape may become increasingly congested this summer, particularly if Thomas Frank (Tottenham Hotspur) and Eddie Howe (Newcastle United) continue to face challenges in the coming weeks.
When Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as United manager in 2013, the Premier League club appointed David Moyes from Everton as his successor, as Madrid (Carlo Ancelotti), PSG (Laurent Blanc), Chelsea (Jose Mourinho), Bayern Munich (Guardiola), and Man City (Manuel Pellegrini) acted swiftly in their searches for new coaches that year.
This year’s competition to secure a new coach is set to be formidable. The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup complicates matters, with prominent coaches such as Ancelotti (Brazil), Thomas Tuchel (England), Didier Deschamps (France), and Mauricio Pochettino (United States) all set to be out of contract following the tournament.
What challenges await the clubs seeking a new coach, and which may need to act quickly if their current managers depart?
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MANCHESTER UNITED
Carrick has achieved four victories in four matches since taking over from Amorim on January 13, but the former United midfielder, whose only managerial experience ended with his dismissal at Championship side Middlesbrough last summer, is only in charge until the season’s conclusion.
This could change if his results remain strong, but United is committed to hiring an established coach capable of leading the team to challenge for Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles once more, and Carrick’s current experience would typically exclude him from consideration.
Tuchel and Ancelotti are viewed as the most viable candidates. Both have experience in the Premier League with Chelsea (Ancelotti also managed Everton) and have each won the Champions League at least once. However, if United wishes to secure either, they must act before the World Cup begins in June, which could present challenges.
Sources have indicated that United is in “no rush” to finalize an appointment, which may benefit Carrick, but the Old Trafford management must eventually make a decision and identify their primary target.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Carrick is appointed permanently.
play1:33Ogden: Carrick’s success is creating a problem for Man United’s hierarchy
Mark Ogden believes Manchester United will need to decide on Michael Carrick’s future soon.
REAL MADRID
Arbeloa received an open-ended contract as first-team coach following Alonso’s departure last month, but the former Madrid and Liverpool defender’s future will depend on results, which have been inconsistent thus far.
By appointing Alonso last summer, Madrid secured one of Europe’s most promising young coaches after the 44-year-old’s success in winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. However, the former Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool midfielder struggled to implement his philosophy with the team, and his difficult relationship with Vinícius Júnior also played a role in his exit.
Coaching Madrid involves managing a star-studded squad and achieving success in the Champions League, so it is unlikely the club will opt for another young coach following Alonso.
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has been a target for Madrid for years, and now in a front office role as head of global soccer at Red Bull, a return to coaching at the world’s premier club could entice the 58-year-old.
Madrid might also consider former coaches Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, both of whom have had two tenures at the Bernabéu, but whoever is appointed will be a high-profile name.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: An approach for Klopp, but Zidane returns for a third term.
MANCHESTER CITY
Guardiola is contracted at the Etihad until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season, but the 55-year-old has consistently declined to confirm his future when questioned in recent months.
The former Barcelona and Bayern coach will have been at City for a decade this summer, and he has extended his contract multiple times when many anticipated his departure, but there is a growing belief within the sport that this could be Guardiola’s final year at the club.
If Guardiola departs, sources have informed ESPN that Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, a former City captain, will be the leading candidate to succeed him at the Etihad.
Kompany possesses the City credentials, a solid rapport with the club’s management, and a successful record with Bayern, but City is such a well-structured organization that it would be surprising if they did not already have a succession plan in place.
Alonso, PSG coach Luis Enrique, and former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, who was a former assistant to Guardiola at City, are also potential candidates.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Guardiola departs and City pursues Kompany.
play1:48Is this Pep Guardiola’s final season at Manchester City?
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss whether Pep Guardiola could leave Manchester City at the end of the season.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Luis Enrique is arguably the only coach in club football currently capable of challenging Guardiola for the title of the world’s best.
After winning the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015, he replicated that success with PSG last year, creating one of the most thrilling teams in recent memory at the Parc des Princes by transitioning away from the club’s superstar era and integrating an impressive group of young players.
Reports from France last month indicated that the 55-year-old would not extend his current contract, which runs until 2027, and would instead seek a new challenge elsewhere.
However, the former Spain coach is now in discussions regarding a new deal in Paris, and efforts are being made to expedite negotiations to eliminate him from consideration for the numerous top positions that may arise this summer.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Luis Enrique signs a new contract to remain at PSG.
LIVERPOOL
Slot is contracted as Liverpool head coach until the end of next season and, after winning the Premier League in his first year as Klopp’s successor last year, appeared set for a long tenure at Anfield.
However, the team’s disappointing performances this season following a £450 million investment in summer signings have put the 47-year-old’s position at risk.
Mohamed Salah’s candid remarks about his relationship with Slot in December underscored tensions within the squad, so the former Feyenoord coach requires a strong finish to the season to enhance his chances of retaining his position.
Liverpool remains in the Champions League and FA Cup, but they are faltering in their pursuit of a top-five finish in the Premier League—especially after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Man City. If Liverpool fails to secure a Champions League berth, Slot will likely face difficulties in keeping his job.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Slot departs, but Liverpool may contend with Bayern for Alonso.
play1:31Slot: Guehi’s foul on Salah was a clear red card
Arne Slot discusses Marc Guehi’s foul on Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai’s red card.
BAYERN MUNICH
On the surface, Bayern appears to have no concerns. Head coach Kompany is steering the club toward a second consecutive Bundesliga title, and his team is a strong contender for the Champions League.
The 39-year-old was awarded a new contract last October that binds him to Bayern until the end of the 2028-29 season, but all of Bayern’s well-laid plans could be disrupted if Guardiola departs Manchester City this summer.
Kompany has significant backing from the hierarchy at the Etihad, and the opportunity to return to Manchester as head coach would be hard to resist.
Bayern will leverage their status as a European powerhouse to retain Kompany, but if City comes calling, the German champions will have alternatives, including Alonso, who enjoyed a successful three-year spell as a player at the Allianz Arena from 2014 to 2017.
However, timing could be crucial. Alonso will attract interest from other clubs—Liverpool and possibly PSG—so Bayern must have contingency plans in place.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Kompany to City, Alonso to Bayern.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Eddie Howe has brought stability and success to Newcastle since being appointed as manager—not head coach—in November 2021.
However, despite ending the club’s 70-year wait for a domestic trophy with last season’s Carabao Cup and guiding Newcastle into the Champions League on two occasions, the team’s performance this season has led to discontent among supporters for the first time during Howe’s tenure.
Newcastle’s advancement since being acquired by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund in 2021 has stalled, and ongoing issues in the transfer market have frustrated Howe.
With the England position likely to become available when Tuchel’s contract expires after the World Cup, a natural separation could occur at Newcastle this summer.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Howe departs for the England role, Newcastle pursues Tuchel.
play1:25Should Eddie Howe’s Newcastle future be in doubt?
Don Hutchison reacts to Newcastle’s 3-2 loss to Brentford in the Premier League.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Thomas Frank is engaged in a weekly struggle for survival at Spurs, despite having joined the club only last summer.
Frank has been unable to build on Ange Postecoglou’s UEFA Europa League victory, and Spurs are perilously close to being drawn into a relegation battle—something that could become a reality if they lose at home to Newcastle on Tuesday.
With the club’s supporters having turned against Frank in recent weeks, the 52-year-old appears to be on a path toward an inevitable departure this summer, if not sooner.
There is only one coach who could satisfy the supporters and restore unity to the club: USMNT coach Pochettino.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Frank departs, Pochettino returns after the World Cup.
BENFICA
The Benfica position may not hold the same prestige as those previously mentioned, but it is expected to be a significant role this summer.
ESPN sources in Portugal anticipate that Benfica coach Jose Mourinho will be offered the national team position when Roberto Martinez’s contract concludes after the World Cup, and if Mourinho transitions to international management, Amorim is expected to return to coaching at Estadio da Luz.
Amorim led Lisbon rivals Sporting CP to two league titles during his tenure at Estadio Jose Alvalade, but he spent nine years as a player with Benfica and has considerable backing among the club’s decision-makers.
Amorim’s disappointing 14-month stint in charge of Manchester United has tarnished his reputation as one of Europe’s top young coaches, but he remains highly regarded in Portugal, and Benfica could provide his pathway back into management.
MOST LIKELY OUTCOME: Mourinho departs—for Portugal or the Premier League—and Amorim takes the Benfica role.
