Chelsea's difficult search for a new coach

English Premier League side Chelsea Football Club are once more on the lookout for a long-term manager after 34 year old Portuguese André Villas-Boas was fired a few weeks ago, only eight month's after he had joined the club.

The west London club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich is on the lookout for his eighth manager in as many years. Top of his wish list are Pep Guardiola (FC Barcelona) and Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid) with other coaches like Guus Hiddink (now Anzhi Makhachkala), Juergen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund) and Laurent Blanc (France) have been sounded out, while coaches like Rafael Benitez have shown own interest in the job.

Spaniard Guardiola is currently the most successful club coach with FC Barcelona whom he only joined in 2008 and since then has won everything that a club can win. But news out of Catalunya is that Guardiola is getting tired at Barca and might leave in the summer. If he would take time off or join another side is not known, so Chelsea are trying to find out.

A dream for a lot of Chelsea fans would be the return of the 'Special One' Jose Mourinho, who coached the Blues very successfully from 2004 to 2007. But if the Mourinho would leave Real Madrid for London will have to be seen. Certainly Chelsea has a special place in Mourinho's heart and he has said that his next job after Real Madrid would be in the Premier League. But any return to Stamford Bridge would depend if Mourinho and owner Abramovich can work with each other again.

But there is an option which people aren't consider much at the moment, but maybe one to look at if he continues to be successful. Caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo has done well since taking over and might be named as full-time manager in the weeks to come if wanted candidates turn down the hot seat.