Former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Hansi Flick is not interested in taking over the reins from Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
It was announced earlier this evening that Pochettino and Chelsea were parting ways by mutual consent, just days after the Argentine had steered the club to European football with a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.
In an up-and-down – but ultimately disappointing – debut season at the helm, the 52-year-old also took the Blues to the Carabao Cup final and the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they crashed out to Manchester City.
Pochettino was unable to confirm whether he would still be in charge come the start of next season as he faced the media after Chelsea’s win over Bournemouth on the final day of the campaign.
And rather tellingly, the ex-Tottenham and PSG head coach also refused to take part in the lap of appreciation while his players performed the customary gesture at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s hunt for a new manager starts with immediate effect and a plethora of high-profile names are being rumoured as candidates for the job, from Roberto De Zerbi, the early bookmakers’ favourite, to Thomas Tuchel and Jose Mourinho.
Flick has also been mooted as a potential replacement for Pochettino but, according to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, the German has no interest in filling the vacant position in west London.
Plettenberg claims he has heard directly from Flick’s inner circle that the manager is ‘focused on other projects’, with the 59-year-old linked with a possible return to Bayern Munich in recent weeks.
He has also been named as a leading contender to take charge at both Barcelona and Manchester United.
Flick has been out of a job since being dismissed as Germany manager following the side’s 4-1 defeat to Japan – their fourth loss in five games – last September.
His underwhelming tenure with the national team came after an impressive reign with Bayern Munich, in which he led the club to seven pieces of silverware, including back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the 2019/20 Champions League.
According to reports in Germany, Flick’s fellow countryman Tuchel has held discussions over a proposed return to Chelsea and is keen on the idea of returning to Stamford Bridge, despite his previous fallings out with owner Todd Boehly.
It’s claimed the Blues have emerged as a ‘concrete option’ for Tuchel, who stepped down as Bayern after a rare trophyless campaign in charge of the Bundesliga giants.
The 50-year-old departed west London as a popular figure among Chelsea fans, leading the club to their second Champions League trophy three years ago, as well as the Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
Pochettino, meanwhile, is said to be keen to make an immediate return to management and Manchester United are being tipped as a potential destination for the manager should Erik ten Hag be relieved of his duties.
In a brief statement on Chelsea’s official website, Pochettino said: ‘Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history.
‘The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.’
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