Current Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri faces a monster FA Cup clash with Manchester United this evening, but should the Blues bow out at the fifth round stage of the cup then it could see Sarri’s reign at Stamford Bridge come to an abrupt end following a string of poor results.
A 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City in their last Premier League match saw Chelsea’s quest for a top-four spot take another hammer blow, while their pitiful 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth left many Blues fans wondering whether Sarri is the right man for the job.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is certainly not shy in wielding the axe on the Blues managers and the Russian oligarch could well lose his patience with Sarri should the west London side get knocked out of the FA Cup on Monday night by an in-form United side.
Should Sarri leave his position then one man in the frame for a switch to the Bridge would be Zinedine Zidane, but according to The Sun the former Real Madrid boss will only join the club if he can have a host of demands adhered to.
Zidane masterminded a hat-trick of Champions League titles while at the helm at Real Madrid, and since then has failed to take up another managerial job in football, but the French World Cup winner is looking for a way back into the game and Chelsea is a club that could attract the former superstar player.
However, Zidane’s demands could well scupper the deal as we know Abramovich enjoys a huge say in transfer dealings and how the playing staff is recruited, so a Zidane-Abramovich pairing could be far from a match made in heaven.
Zidane’s reported demands are:
1. A brand new bumper deal for superstar play-maker Eden Hazard
2. £200m to improve the squad — which could rise should key players leave Stamford Bridge
3. A major say in recruitment alongside Blues director Marina Granovskaia.
Chelsea’s purse strings can certainly accommodate Zidane’s requests and Sarri’s departure could be imminent should the Blues lose to United this evening and also fall to Manchester City in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.
But, can it be seen that Abramovich will enjoy passing over some key areas to his manager as someone like Antonio Conte knows only too well the input Abramovich likes to have in the Chelsea boardroom.