Pundit advises Chelsea to re-appoint former manager and make Blues legend John Terry his No. 2
BeIN Sports presenter Richard Keys has urged Chelsea to reappoint Jose Mourinho as manager and make John Terry his assistant.
The Blues are searching for their third permanent head coach since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali became co-owners in May 2022. Thomas Tuchel was sacked last September and replaced by Graham Potter.
However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss lasted just six months at Stamford Bridge before being shown the door. Chelsea have since appointed Frank Lampard as caretaker boss till the end of the season.
However, Keys doesn't think Lampard should stay in the coaching staff. He has advised the West Londoners to consider reappointing Mourinho and making Terry his assistant (via Metro):
"My choice would be Jose Mourinho with John Terry as his assistant. Chelsea fans would buy into that, and I think Mourinho would have the strength to sort it all out. He’s still the Special One."
Keys continued by alluding to the job Mourinho is doing at his current club AS Roma. The Portuguese coach led i Lupi to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League title last season:
"Look at what he’s doing at Roma – they’re third in Serie A, and they’ve already won a trophy and are on course to win another one this season."
Mourinho is contracted to Roma till 2024 but hasn't ruled out leaving before. The legendary coach was a massive hit at Stamford Bridge during two spells with the club.
He won the Premier League thrice, League Cup thrice and FA Cup once. Meanwhile, Terry is currently Dean Smith's assistant at Leicester City, but his deal runs at the end of the season.
Chelsea are in stark need of a refresh amid their struggles this season. They have been knocked out of all cup competitions and are 11th in the league. The Blues are 17 points off the top four with just seven games remaining.
Luis Enrique no longer considered leading candidate for Chelsea role
Former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique is reportedly no longer a leading contender to succeed Potter at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard held talks with the Blues about the vacancy, but it appears he hasn't convinced them enough.
The Evening Standard reports that Enrique was thought to be in a two-horse race with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann. However, it's now believed that he's an outsider.
Enrique's resume speaks for itself, as he won the UEFA Champions League and two La Liga titles with Barcelona. He left his role as Spain boss following their last 16 exit at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.