Tottenham steps in and arranges talks with a new manager, striking rival Chelsea.
Luis Enrique will be interviewed by Tottenham to compete with Chelsea for their open managerial position.
After firing Antonio Conte on March 26 and appointing his assistant, Cristian Stellini, to lead the team through the remainder of the season, the Spurs are now searching for a new manager. That choice was made a week before Graham Potter was fired and Frank Lampard was appointed manager of Chelsea for the remainder of the campaign.
Due to these adjustments, both Tottenham and Chelsea are searching for a new manager in the same market until the end of the current campaign. After leaving his position as Spain’s manager after the World Cup, Enrique is a potential target for both clubs.
The 52-year-old established himself at Barcelona, where between 2014 and 2017 he won three Copa del Rey titles, the Champions League, and two La Liga championships. After his team was eliminated from the World Cup on penalties by Morocco in the round of 16, he resigned from his position as Spain’s coach.
Enrique traveled to London earlier this month to speak with Chelsea about taking over as manager after Potter. He reportedly felt resentful that the Blues chose to name Lampard as interim manager until the end of the current campaign because he was eager to take the position immediately.
The Telegraph reports that Spurs have now invited Enrique to London for talks, suggesting that Chelsea’s perceived slight of them could come back to haunt them. The team wants to speak with Enrique before he decides on his future because they are aware of the competition from Chelsea.
Nagelsmann is a target for Chelsea as well, but he is content to hold off on deciding until the summer after being abruptly fired by Bayern last month. One of the top candidates for the position, the German has already spoken to Chelsea.
Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are also involved in the selection process, as are sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. Chairman Daniel Levy is overseeing the process for Tottenham, and managing director of football Fabio Paratici’s future is uncertain.
Spurs have placed Paratici on leave following the global extension of his football activity suspension. On Wednesday, the Italian, who has been implicated in the accusations made against his former team Juventus, will learn the result of his appeal.
After losing 3-2 to Bournemouth at the weekend, Spurs are currently fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Newcastle, who also have a game in hand.
