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Every summer, the transfers of football players create a huge carousel of rumors in both the front pages of the media and the minds of fans. It can be guessed that this year, due to the World Cup, the football player market frenzy will shift to the second half of July, as the biggest stars will first focus on performing well in Brazil. Nevertheless, there are already many rumors circulating about possible coaching changes - 15min.lt took a look at the most interesting ones.
More and more talk in the football world that "Barcelona" coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino from Argentina will lose his job after the season. The 51-year-old specialist, leading "Barca," failed to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since the 2006-2007 season. In addition, the Catalans are only in third place in the "Primera" championship, and the recent poor gameplay raises doubts about the club's chances of beating Madrid's "Real" in the "Copa del Rey" final.
The main contenders for the position of the Catalan coach are Jurgen Klopp, coaching Dortmund's "Borussia," Luis Enrique coaching Vigo's "Celta," and the coach of the Netherlands national team, Louis van Gaal.
"Barca" fans, who bid farewell to Josep Guardiola with tears two years ago, would like to see a coach with a strong character, charisma, and the ability to rally players for battle back at the helm. This was not evident in either Tito Vilanova or "Tata" Martino.
However, the 46-year-old German, J. Klopp, is not someone who can be easily and cheaply lured. The football specialist has become a very attractive commodity in the coaching market over the past two seasons, and there were serious rumors about the German's desire to leave Borussia.
It is said that J. Klopp is being eyed not only by "Barca" but also by the dissatisfied "Manchester United" club under David Moyes and the money-spending but unrewarded London "Tottenham Hotspur" bosses. The biggest downside for these clubs is that the teams will not play in the Champions League next season.
The "Tottenham Hotspur" team has recently been strongly associated with 62-year-old Louis van Gaal, who has already announced that he will leave his post as coach of the Netherlands national team after the World Cup. Rumors have recently surfaced about a possible move to London's "Arsenal."
The mood of the supporters of the latter team is divided - 64-year-old Arsene Wenger, who has been with the team for 18 years, is still both condemned and defended. It is unclear what the club's executives are thinking, and there are many rumors about the departure of the Frenchman. However, there seems to be a possibility that the contract with the long-standing coach will be extended.
Both French giants - "Paris Saint Germain" and "Monaco" - are also considering coaching changes. The leaders of the former are tired of an early exit from the Champions League tournament, while the latter will return to the prestigious tournament next season and are looking for a coach suitable for a good performance.
Both French clubs are interested in A. Wenger, who has already worked with "Monaco." PSG would also like to see Diego Simeone, the assistant to Real Madrid's coach Carlo Ancelotti, as the second most sought-after "commodity" on their list.
The 43-year-old Argentine led "Atletico" to the Champions League semi-final and poses a serious threat to breaking the longstanding dominance of "Real" and "Barca" in the Spanish "Primero."
Charismatic, emotional, and inspiring coach who motivates his players, Simeone is also known for his excellent tactical knowledge and ability to adapt very well to the opponent's game. However, for such people, money is often not the most important factor, so attracting the Argentine to a club would be a difficult task for anyone. Especially since "Atletico" is not poor and can offer challenges to D. Simeone.
