The five leading candidates to be next Chelsea manager including Brighton boss and former Spurs head coach

Chelsea’s shock 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League proved to be the final match of Thomas Tuchel’s time in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The German has left the Blues a little over 18 months after his appointment in January 2021 with a Champions League title, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to his name.

The London club will now be looking to appoint a successor, a process they plan to ‘move swiftly’ on, according to today’s statement.

As the speculation begins about who will fill the hot seat, are the five leading contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge in the immediate aftermath of Tuchel’s departure:

Graham Potter

The Brighton & Hove Albion boss is the early favourite to make the move from Chelsea’s Premier League rivals after three impressive seasons in charge at the AMEX Stadium.

Potter, who played for Birmingham City and Southampton during his playing career and was manager of Swedish side Östersund and EFL Championship club Swansea City before moving to Brighton, has many admirers in the English game and beyond.

Although silverware has so far eluded him in the UK, he has helped the Seagulls to punch well above their weight in the Premier League on a relatively modest budget and has them sitting fourth at the moment.

The 47-year old has also earned praise for encouraging a possession based, passing style of football at the clubs he has managed.

Mauricio Pochettino

The Argentinian is one of two high profile free agents believed to be amongst the early front runners for the Chelsea job, having left Paris Saint-Germain in July this year.

He guided PSG to the Ligue 1 title but is best remembered for his five and a half years as boss of the Blues’ London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

He led Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final and played a huge part in establishing them as one of the top sides in the Premier League.

He was heavily linked with the managerial vacancy at Manchester United this summer before the club appointed Erik ten Hag - who was always believed to be their first choice.

Zinedine Zidane

The French icon has been linked with every major job in world football since leaving Real Madrid last year but has yet to make the step back into management.

After an incredible career as a player he has since established himself as one of the greatest managers in Spanish football this millennium with two La Liga titles and three Champions League wins.

His two spells in charge of Los Blancos between 2016 - 2018 and 2019 - 2021 have been his only senior managerial roles but the success he brought to the club in that time has been more than enough to establish him as one of the top coaches in world football.

Could Chelsea be the club to tempt the 50-year old back into the dugout?

Brendan Rodgers

Rodger has often been linked with the top job at Chelsea when it has previously become vacant having been in charge of the club’s academy and reserve team between 2004 and 2008.

Since leaving Stamford Bridge he has been in charge of current EFL Championship sides Watford and Reading before breaking out as a sought after coach with Swansea City.

His success in Wales landed him the Liverpool job which he held between 2012 and 2015 before arguably his greatest success as he led Celtic to seven trophies in a little over two and a half years including an unbeaten domestic season.

Things aren’t going great for the 49-year old at the moment with his Leicester City side currently bottom of the Premier League but he did guide them to the 2021 FA Cup and his managerial credentials have never been in question.

Diego Simeone

The Atletico Madrid head coach leads the pack of ‘outsiders’ in the speculation which also includes names like Massimiliano Allegri, Ange Postecoglou and former Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

Simeone managed a host of clubs in his native Argentina including River Plate before taking over at Atleti in 2011.

Over a decade later he has led them to two La Liga titles, two Europa League titles and two Champions League finals among other achievements.

Simeone, like Zidane, has never managed or played in English football but has a CV as both a player and coach that stands out.

Blues fans might not be keen on his often cautious style of play but it has certainly worked wonders for him in Madrid these plas 11 years.