Leicester City confirmed the departure of Brendan Rodgers on Sunday as the former Celtic manager's four-year spell with the Foxes came to an end.
Defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday had left the 2016 Premier League champions languishing in the relegation zone and staring at the very real prospect of falling into the Championship following a dire campaign. The East Midlands side will now be on the hunt for Rodgers’ eventual successor and will be hoping that whoever they appoint will be able to trigger a reversal in fortunes.
Mirror Football takes a look at some of the standout candidates that could be considered by Leicester 's owners.
Rafael Benitez
Hugely experienced in the Premier League following spells with Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle, the Spaniard has been out of work since being sacked by Everton last season. The 62-year-old has also enjoyed spells with the likes of Real Madrid, Napoli and Valencia, among many others, so there is no doubting his credentials.
Whether he has the know-how to get Leicester out of the mire they currently find themselves in remains to be seen however. He served a similar role at Newcastle and despite being unable to stave off the threat of relegation, still managed to get the Magpies straight back up.
Who do you think Leicester should appoint as Brendan Rodgers' replacement? Share your suggestions in the comments below
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Another who has had contrasting stints in the Premier League, the former Norwegian striker is better known for his spells with Manchester United. He was drafted into Old Trafford as an interim manager following Jose Mourinho ’s exit and did an admirable job by stabilising the ship.
Solskjaer ended up staying at Old Trafford for nearly three years and almost ended the club’s long trophy drought with a run to the 2021 Europa League final. He has been out of work since being jettisoned by his former club.
Frank Lampard
On the topic of club icons currently without a job, ex-Chelsea boss Lampard is currently on the hunt for another opportunity in the Premier League. Whether that comes with Leicester remains to be seen.
Lampard had done relatively well at Chelsea given the circumstances and despite managing to keep Everton up last term, paid for another miserable season this term with his job at Goodison Park.
Ralph Hassenhuttl
Another manager to have lost his job earlier this season, the Austrian is well known to Premier League supporters following his stint with Southampton. Hassenhuttl had a number of highlights on the south coast but failed to get the side firing this term.
His work at German side RB Leipzig is also noteworthy as he secured a second-place finish in the side’s debut Bundesliga campaign. Whilst he might not be a name that will inspire Leicester fans, a recently-sacked former Southampton manager is a route they have gone down before - see: Claude Puel.
Lucien Favre
A hugely experienced name when it comes to management - particularly on the continent - Swiss coach Favre has taken in spells in his homeland, as well as Germany and France. He enjoyed a brilliant spell with Borussia Monchengladbach between 2011 and 2015 as he transformed the side from relegation candidates to Champions League contenders.
He has had varying stints with Borussia Dortmund and two with Nice since then and has been out of work since January following a Coupe de France defeat to third tier French side Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne.
Thomas Frank
Whilst it would certainly be far easier to hand the reins to a manager currently out of work, one man who has been regularly linked with a move to the King Power Stadium is Thomas Frank. The Dane has impressed hugely in his time with Brentford and has the West London side challenging for a place in Europe this term.
Should Leicester want to appoint Frank, they may have somewhat of a battle on their hands to acquire his services. He only signed a new deal until 2027 with Brentford back in December.
Andre Villas-Boas
Somewhat of a left-field selection, Portuguese coach Villas-Boas has not been seen in the Premier League in a decade. A Europa League winner with Porto, he went on to have spells with Chelsea and Tottenham.
Since then, he has taken in spells with Zenit St Petersburg, Shanghai SIPG and Marseille, whilst he has also pursued a career within motorsport. He has not been in management since his departure from the French side in February 2021.
