Chelsea are understood to be close to reaching an agreement with Mauricio Pochettino to become the club’s next head coach, with talks reported to be in the final stages.
Pochettino looks set to return to the Premier League after successful spells at Southampton and Tottenham, having led the latter to four consecutive top-four finishes and the Champions League final.
The Argentine’s past connection to the club’s London rivals does not appear to have been problematic for the Blues and Pochettino could become the fifth manager to have taken charge of both Chelsea and Spurs in the Premier League era.
We look at the previous coaches to have managed both Chelsea and Tottenham.
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle was the first manager to take charge of both clubs during the Premier League era.
Hoddle was named as Chelsea’s player-manager ahead of the 1993/94 campaign, having led Swindon Town into the Premier League in a similar role the previous season. He reached the FA Cup final during his first season in charge, but was unable to end the west London side’s 24-year wait for a major trophy after a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley.
He spent three seasons with the club and turned Chelsea into a competitive outfit in cup competition, before departing to take charge of England.
After a short spell at Southampton after leaving the national side, Hoddle took charge of Tottenham in 2001. It marked a return to his former side, with Hoddle having made 490 appearances for the north Londoners in all competitions as a player.
He led the side to the 2002 League Cup final, but after consecutive mid-table finishes he was sacked after a disappointing start to the 2003/04 season.
Andre Villas-Boas
Andre Villas-Boas was Europe’s hottest coaching property when he was announced as Chelsea’s next head coach in 2011, with the Portuguese hailed as the second coming of Jose Mourinho after following his compatriot’s path from Porto to Stamford Bridge.
Villas-Boas had spent just one season at Porto, in which he led the side to the Primeira Liga title with an unbeaten league season and won the Europa League, becoming the youngest manager to win a European competition, at the age of 33 years and 213 days.
When Andre Villas-Boas was appointed manager @ChelseaFC, he was the same age as Drogba & Lampard 🔵
It happened #OnThisDay in 2011 pic.twitter.com/gQjYJ2T02Y
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 22, 2017
Villa-Boas was unable to replicate the achievements of Mourinho in England however, and lasted just nine months in charge. He was dismissed after a run of three wins in 12 league fixtures.
He returned to management across the capital just four months later after being named as Harry Redknapp’s replacement at Spurs. His first season was impressive as Villas-Boas led Spurs to fifth place and a then club-record total of 72 Premier League points, at that time the highest points total for a side who did not secure Champions League qualification.
He departed in December of the following season however, as Spurs struggled for results after the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Villas-Boas’ exit came with Spurs seventh in the table, after a start to the season that included heavy losses to West Ham (3-0), Manchester City (6-1) and Liverpool (5-0).
Villas-Boas has the highest win percentage (55%) of any Tottenham manager in the Premier League era.
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho became an instant legend at Chelsea, as the charismatic and confident figurehead of the Blues’ new era.
Roman Abramovich made his move to appoint Mourinho ahead of the 2004/05 season, after the Portuguese coach had led Porto to Champions League success the previous season.
Mourinho made an unforgettable impression with his iconic ‘Special One’ interview, before leading Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles. The first saw the west Londoners concede just 15 goals all season, defensive numbers which remain a Premier League record.
🏆 Three #PL titles
✅ 217 wins in 363 matches
😂 Countless iconic celebrationsThere’s only one Jose Mourinho! pic.twitter.com/OeasenSwen
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 26, 2023
Mourinho won five major trophies in just over three seasons at Stamford Bridge, before an unexpected exit just weeks into the 2007/08 campaign. After successful stints at Inter Milan – who he led to a continental treble – and Real Madrid, he returned for a second spell at Chelsea in 2013.
Mourinho won a third Premier League title with Chelsea in 2014/15 and remains the most decorated manager in the club’s history, but was sacked seven months after that title success. Chelsea lost nine of their opening 16 league games to sit 16th in the table at the time of his departure, in a dreadful defence of the Premier League.
Having somewhat soured relations with Chelsea by moving to Manchester United, Mourinho risked irking his former fanbase further after taking charge at Tottenham in 2019.
Mourinho won 51% of his 86 games in charge of Spurs, but was sacked after 17 months. His exit was the first time the Portuguese had left a club without winning a trophy since 2002.
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte became the fourth manager to have coached both capital clubs, following a successful spell at Chelsea with a 16-month stint at Spurs.
Conte won the Premier League title during his first season in charge at Chelsea, with a mid-season tactical switch to a 3-4-3 system inspiring the west Londoners to the top of the table. Chelsea embarked on a 13-game winning run following the switch to set the foundation for title success.
The club’s 93 points was at that time the second-highest points tally in Premier League history, while the Blues also equalled the then-records for most wins (30), consecutive wins (13) and fewest draws (3).
“And Stamford Bridge rises to acclaim the champions…”@ChelseaFC + 🎉 = #OnThisDay 2017 pic.twitter.com/klEjw6E8da
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 15, 2018
Conte lifted the FA Cup in his second season at Chelsea, but was surprisingly sacked after the club missed out on Champions League qualification.
After winning a Serie A title at Inter Milan, he took charge of Tottenham in November 2021 after the short-lived reign of Nuno Espirito Santo. Conte guided the north Londoners to a top four finish, but cracks began to appear during his second season at the helm.
He blasted his squad as ‘selfish’ and criticised the board for continued failures following a draw with Southampton in March 2023, an outburst which saw him sacked.
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