Massimiliano Allegri will leave his position as Juventus head coach at the end of the season.
The 51-year-old, who has won the Serie A title during each of his five years in charge, had a year remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2017 but he will not see it out as the Bianconeri continue in a different direction.
Here, Press Association Sport looks at the contenders to replace Allegri at the Italian giants.
Antonio Conte
The former Bianconeri boss is the early favourite with the bookmakers to make a return to Turin, having managed the club between 2011 and 2014. Conte delivered the Serie A title in each of his three seasons in charge of Juventus, winning the league with a record points total of 102 during the 2013-14 campaign. An icon as a player in the black and white stripes between 1991 and 2004, the 49-year-old knows the club inside-out and would be a popular choice amongst most supporters.
Conte won the Premier League at the first time of asking with Chelsea and followed that up with an FA Cup success the next season, so he has proved himself to be a serial winner. He will be refreshed and refocused almost a year after leaving the Blues.
Mauricio Pochettino
The Tottenham manager’s name is linked with every big job these days as his stock continues to rise – and it could reach an all-time high should Spurs win the Champions League next month. After eight years of domestic dominance, Juventus crave another European crown and this season’s quarter-final exit against Ajax in the Champions League was a huge disappointment after signing Cristiano Ronaldo last summer for a fee reported to be 100million euros.
Pochettino has claimed he could leave Spurs if they won European club football’s biggest prize on June 1, although he did sign a new five-year contract last year. The Argentinian plays bright, attacking football and throughout his career has blooded young players but the fact he has not won a major trophy – yet – may work against him.
Didier Deschamps
#OnThisDay Didier Deschamps began his Juventus career and went on to lift seven different trophies in ⚫️⚪️!— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) August 31, 2017
Like Conte, another former Juventus midfielder and manager. Deschamps’ spell in charge of the club was short-lived but during his season at the helm he won the Serie B title and got the club promoted back to the top flight, following its demotion for match-fixing.
The 50-year-old might not have been the most stylish of players, but his France team which won last year’s World Cup had it in spades. Deschamps also has club experience at Monaco and Marseille, but could he be tempted away from the France national team where he has a contract until 2020?
Pep Guardiola
There has been a lot of speculation about the future of the Manchester City boss of late, despite his current contract running up until 2021. Guardiola has thrived in Spain, Germany and England, where his Premier League champions have the opportunity to complete an historic domestic treble in the FA Cup final on Saturday – having won the League Cup in February. With that in mind, Italy could be the next logical step in his career.
Guardiola failed to win the Champions League at Bayern Munich and has yet to deliver it at Manchester City, with his last success in the competition coming with Barcelona in 2011.
Laurent Blanc
The former France international and manager, a no-nonsense centre-back in his playing days, guided Bordeaux to an unlikely second-placed finish in his first managerial job before claiming the Ligue 1 title the following year after setting a then competition record of 11 straight victories.
Blanc became France manager in 2010 and lost to eventual 2012 European Championship winners Spain at the quarter-final stage before stepping down after the tournament. Paris St Germain followed, where he won 11 trophies in three seasons before he left in 2016. The 53-year-old has not managed since.
