With news circulating today that Chelsea have been handed a two-window transfer ban by FIFA for multiple breaches of Article 19, relating to the registration of under-18 players, bookmakers are scrambling to update their odds for the next Chelsea manager. Chelsea have stated that they intend to appeal this decision but there is a grey cloud above Stamford Bridge at the moment and it doesn't look like things are going to clear up quickly.

Maurizio Sarri's job has been under the spotlight following a batch of poor form since the turn of the year. Creating a Premier League table consisting of results since January onward, Chelsea find themselves languishing in 14th place in the form guide having won 2, lost 3, and drawn 1. To put this into perspective, Manchester United have added 16 points to their tally within the same time that Chelsea have managed just 7.

Zinedine Zidane was the favourite to replace Sarri as Chelsea manager at 3.00 (2/1), but these odds feel a little short following the news of a transfer ban that would see Chelsea unable to sign any players until the summer of 2020. Indeed, bookmakers have now lengthened these odds to 3.50 (5/2) and replaced Zidane as the favourite for the role with Steve Holland, who can currently be backed at odds of 3.00 (2/1).

Whether there was already a deal in place to bring the current England assistant manager to Stamford Bridge or not, it now seems a more likely prospect than Chelsea managing to convince Zidane to move to London. Zidane isn't the kind of manager you look to in the interim, but rather a figurehead you want to open the purse strings to in order to allow him to build his own team. With the current issues within the Chelsea squad, it would be surprising to see Zidane want to get involved if he is unable to bring any new players into the team until the summer of 2020. This could, of course, change quickly if Chelsea are able to lodge a successful appeal to FIFA in advance of the summer transfer window of 2019.

The most obvious replacement for Sarri should he be given the boot by Roman Abramovich in the near future would be Gianfranco Zola. The Chelsea legend has been employed as the club's assistant manager since 2018 and knows the club and team like the back of his own hand. Zola was one of the front-runners for the interim manager role but a recent gallstones issue has kept him away from Stamford Bridge. As such, Zola's odds to replace Sarri have lengthened drastically to 7.00 (6/1) as there is no current set date for his return to work. Punters may see value in backing Zola at these odds, and this could certainly be the case if he can overcome his illness quickly, but for now, Holland looks to be the man Chelsea could turn to.

The difficulty Chelsea now have is whether they can receive a quick response from FIFA to their transfer ban appeal. If the London club are able to overturn the decision then it would be naive to rule out Zidane as the next manager of the club. The question remains, however, as to whether the likes of Holland will get this Chelsea team playing any better than Sarri has been able to. Another factor to consider is whether appointing Holland as manager would convince Eden Hazard to remain at Chelsea, which seems much less likely than would be the case with Zidane in the dugout.

What do you think? Will the transfer ban be overturned or will Chelsea be stuck looking for someone to take over as interim manager for the next year?

Soccer / zola

The Best Odds for the Next Chelsea Manager

The Best Odds for the Next Chelsea Manager

The Best Odds for the Next Chelsea Manager