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Concluding the series looking at the major clubs across Europe which are under new management this season.
This time it is the turn of Spain, Germany, and France. For part one please click here, and part two here.
Spain
Real Madrid:
Previous manager: Zinedine Zidane
What happened to him? He resigned at the end of last season, after Real failed to win any silverware and because of long-standing tensions with club president Florentino Pérez.
Who have they appointed? To the surprise of many, they turned to former manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was In charge of the club between 2013 and 2015, winning the Champions League with them, but who was fired by Perez after he failed to repeat that success, Ancelotti has re-joined after an 18-month spell with Everton.
Ancelotti is tasked with bringing trophy success back to Real, but he must do so with the club told to make financial savings to comply with Spanish FFP. That means there will be no big summer signings, although they have already acquired David Alaba from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.
Instead, Ancelotti will be required to try and integrate back into the team players formerly on the fringes under Zidane like Isco, or allowed to leave on loan like Gareth Bale and Martin Ødegaard.
Germany
Bayern Munich:
Previous manager: Hansi Flick.
What happened to him? Despite leading Bayern to a domestic treble, the previous campaign and another league title last season, Flick decided to quit after falling out with Bayern Sporting Director, Hasan Salihamidžić over the club’s transfer strategy. He has since succeeded Joachim Loew as the German national team manager.
Who have they appointed? Julian Nagelsmann.
Although he has only just turned 34 years old and has yet to win anything as a manager, Nagelsmann is one of the most highly rated coaches in world football, and was heavily linked with the Spurs job before Bayern made their interest known.
He spent three seasons with Hoffenheim and then moved to RB Leipzig, taking them to a Champions League semi-final second place in the Bundesliga and a runner-up place in the German Cup final.
Nagelsmann remit is simple – to continue the era of domestic dominance – they have won the title for the last nine years – whilst mounting a major challenge in the Champions League once more.
RB Leipzig:
Previous manager: Julian Nagelsmann
What happened to him? He joined Bayern Munich.
Who have they appointed: Jesse Marsch.
To succeed Nagelsmann they have appointed American Marsch, who was a previous assistant at the club, and had been in charge of Austrian sister club Red Bull Salzburg.
He also had a spell in the MLS with New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact.
Marsch’s task is to keep Leipzig as Bayern’s nearest challengers, as well as to try and win a domestic cup, and to have another deep run in the Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund:
Previous Manager: Edin Terzić. When Lucien Favre was fired in December 2020, former player Ter Terzić took over on a caretaker basis, steering them to a league finish in the Champions League places and German Cup success.
He is now the technical director at Dortmund.
Who have they appointed? Marco Rose
Having previously worked with Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Monchengladbach, Rose joins a club that may have sold Jadon Sancho but looks like it will hold on to Erling Haaland for another year. Rose will be expected to continue to develop youth at the club, whilst trying to make Dortmund the nearest challengers to Bayern.
France
Lille
Previous Manager: Christophe Galtier
What happened to him? Just two days after leading Lille to their first French league title in ten years, Galtier resigned. He felt that his time at the club had come to the end of its natural cycle.
Who have they appointed? Jocelyn Gourvennec
Lille fans expecting Gourvennec to emulate Galtier’s success have unrealistic aspirations, PSG have been investing heavily in the transfer market, and are determined not only to regain their domestic crown but also to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League once more.
Instead, Lille will aim to be the best of the rest, and will hope they might win a cup.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.