5 possible replacements for Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich
When it was announced from Sabener Street in Munich that Carlo Ancelotti would be succeeding Pep Guardiola as head coach for Bayern Munich from the 2016-17 season onwards, everyone out there was positive the Italian's appointment due to his proven record at several clubs across Europe which included leading AC Milan and Real Madrid to the coveted Champions League.
Now as we are drawing to a close of his first season in charge, all the Bayern fans might not be having the same view anymore. The team has regressed in general and Ancelotti has failed to strike the balance between the old-aged stars and the younger players on the bench.
His failure to rotate has led to some amount of dissatisfaction within the squad and the Bundesliga champions saw themselves been knocked out of the Champions League and DFB Pokal in quarter and semi-finals respectively. Even though Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has mentioned that Ancelotti's contract runs till 2019 and he is definitely going to be the manager for Bayern next season, we take a look at five possible replacements that the Bavarian can look if the situation becomes really awry.
#5 Julian Nagelsmann
The 29-year-old German coaching prodigy broke onto the scene last season after a struggling Hoffenheim replaced Dutch veteran Huub Stevens and promoted Nagelsmann as the first team coach. Nicknamed "Mini-Mourinho" by former German international Tim Weise, Nagelsmann steered Hoffenheim out of the drop zone and finished in 15th place in his debut season.
The summer of 2016 didn't help his cause much as he lost key players like Kevin Volland but that was never going to deter his ambitions. With a terrifically versatile style of play, Nagelsmann's Hoffenheim has qualified for next season's Champions League after having guaranteed a top four finish in the Bundesliga.
A manager who stresses on keeping possession and creating gaps in the pitch, he is who likes to see the ball move around the pitch, hitting opponents on the counter while building from the back. His preferred formations include a 3-5-2 which can be re-organized to a 5-3-2 with ease as and when the situations require.
He has also a very proven record as youth coach having coached U16 to U19 teams across clubs in Southern Germany leading the Hoffenheim U19 team to the regional league title. The baby-faced mastermind is known to have a soft corner for Bayern Munich and if he continues to lead Hoffenheim to further glory it might not be long to be an ideal successor at Bayern.