Two former Chelsea bosses ‘placed on next manager shortlist’ for huge Champions League club

A former Chelsea head coach has been placed on the shortlist for a major Champions League club, according to reports. Napoli are the defending Italian champions who recently celebrated their return to the podium after a 33 year wait for a Serie A title.

The Naples based outfit dominated Italian football last year and won the league by a margin of 16 points under the guidance of former boss Luciano Spalletti. They also reached the quarter-final of the Champions League for the first time in their history with the likes of Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskheila both thriving in Europe’s elite competition.

Spalletti left Napoli on a high to take on the role of Italian national team coach and the club replaced him with former Roma boss Rudi Garcia. However, they are yet to reach the heights of last season and are already seven points behind league leaders AC Milan.

Napoli sit fifth in the league heading into the international break with four wins, two draws and two defeats from their opening eight matches, while there is also speculation surrounding the long term future of striker Osimhen.

Reports from Italian outlet Foot Mercato claim Napoli are considering the prospect of changing their manager if results don’t improve and one man high on the shortlist of candidates is believed to be ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter.

Potter has been out of club management since April when he was sacked by owner Todd Boehly. Potter’s reign as Chelsea boss was short lived and he managed just 12 victories from 31 matches in the dugout overall.

However, he still has a strong reputation in football due to his previous success with the likes of Brighton, Swansea and Ostersund in Sweden. During his time in Sweden, Potter led Ostersund from the fourth-tier to the top-flight and was praised for his entertaining style of football. He also stunned audiences by leading the club into the Europa League for the first ever time while also recording victories over the likes of Arsenal and Galatasaray.

Potter spent one season at Swansea and missed out on the play-offs before heading to the south-coast to take on Brighton. During his time at Brighton he led the club to a then record high finish of ninth in the league and laid the foundations for a successful European finish under his successor Roberto De Zerbi.

Potter has been heavily linked with a host of roles since leaving Stamford Bridge but he turned down approaches from both Lyon and Rangers, according to reports. Potter is keen to return to a top-club with a clear vision for the future and Napoli may fit the bill, although he has also been linked with the England national team.

Should Napoli choose to replace their manager it is also reported that they may turn their attention to another out of work coach in ex-Blues boss Antonio Conte. Conte is remembered for his title heroics with Chelsea as manager and has also tasted success in Italy with both Juventus and Inter Milan. He has been out of work since leaving Tottenham last season in March.