Jose Mourinho Emerges as Favorite in Chelsea Manager Search

Jose Mourinho Tipped for Potential Third Return to Chelsea

Chelsea’s search for a new manager took an unexpected turn on Friday, with Jose Mourinho suddenly becoming the top candidate.

Mourinho, who was fired by Roma earlier this year, seemed like an unlikely choice for a third stint at Chelsea. Initially, bookmakers had him at 40/1 odds for the job.

Since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna has been the frontrunner for the position. Other names in the mix include Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca, Sporting’s Ruben Amorim, and former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi.

According to Standard Sport, Chelsea’s management is looking for a young, ambitious coach. This description doesn’t quite fit Mourinho, often called ‘The Special One’.

This made it even more surprising when bookmakers saw a surge in bets supporting Mourinho.

Steve Freeth from bet365 said, “From 10:15 to 10:50 this morning, every bet we got for the next Chelsea manager was for Jose Mourinho. This goes against reports that Chelsea wants a young and dynamic manager. During this time, his odds dropped from 40/1 to 2/1, making him the favorite.”

Currently, Mourinho is the third favorite, behind Maresca and McKenna, but ahead of Amorim, De Zerbi, and Brentford’s Thomas Frank.