Most football fans know that being a manager is arguably the worst career choice possible when it comes to job security as coaches are sacked regularly in an attempt by clubs to achieve top-level success.
Across Europe’s top leagues, coaches are either sacked or choose to resign frequently throughout the season, with the length of time a manager stays in charge getting shorter in recent times.
With each defeat a club suffers, the patience with managers is growing thin as coaches’ sacking most times forms a major part of football transfer discussion.
As the pressure to deliver results intensifies, the revolving door of managerial changes highlights the high stakes and cutthroat nature of one of football’s most competitive leagues.
As the 2024-25 European season approaches the often dreaded Christmas period with many fixtures in just a short period, many determining factors influence a team’s performance.
At this time, a long list of managers across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have been sacked this campaign.
Sporting Tribune presents managers in Europe’s top five leagues who have been sacked this campaign.
Erik ten Hag, Manchester United
Former Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag became the first Premier League manager to be sacked on 28 October, when he was dismissed following his team’s 2-1 loss against West Ham United.
After Ruud van Nistelrooy was caretaker for a few games, Ten Hag was permanently replaced by former Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim on November 11.
Erik ten Hag was relieved of his duties after the club dropped to a lowly 14th in the table, marking their fourth defeat in nine league games.
The club, which has 20 top-flight league titles to its name, including 13 titles following the EPL’s rebranding in 1992, suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Brighton, Liverpool, Tottenham, and West Ham.
Daniele De Rossi, Roma
Roma’s Daniele De Rossi became the first head coach of the 2024-25 Serie A season to be sacked as he was handed his dismissal on September 18 after failing to win any of the first four games of the campaign.
Ivan Juric arrived as his replacement on a contract until the end of the season with an option to extend if Roma qualifies for the Champions League. However, Juric was sacked after less than two months in charge after a dismal spell with the Italian giants which saw them just four points above the relegation zone.
With Roma in complete crisis both on and off the pitch, the club turned to Claudio Ranieri. The 73-year-old Roman returned on November 14 as Roma’s caretaker manager until the end of the season. It was his third spell at the club, at the age of 73.
Luca Gotti, Lecce
Luca Gotti, an Italian football manager was appointed as the head coach of U.S. Lecce, taking over from Roberto D’Aversa in March 2024. He successfully guided the team to a 14th-place finish in Serie A for the 2023-2024 season.
However, the 2024-2025 season presented challenges. After 12 matches, Lecce secured only two wins and accumulated nine points, placing them 18th in the league standings. A 1-1 home draw against Empoli on November 9, 2024, was pivotal, leading to Gotti’s dismissal.
Following his departure, Lecce appointed Marco Giampaolo as the new head coach on November 11, 2024. Giampaolo, with previous managerial experience at clubs like AC Milan and Sampdoria, was tasked with improving Lecce’s performance to avoid relegation.
Gotti’s coaching career includes roles at Udinese and Spezia, among others. His tenure at Lecce was marked by initial success in maintaining Serie A status, but subsequent struggles led to his mid-season departure.
Steve Cooper, Leicester City
2016 EPL-winning side Leicester City announced the sack of former manager Steve Cooper after the Foxes lost 2-1 at home against Chelsea in November 2024.
Leicester had a poor run in the domestic league, managing only two wins, four draws, and six losses.
The Welsh manager, who also coached Nottingham Forest, joined the Foxes on a three-year deal in June 2024 but failed to convincingly deliver with a five-game winless run in all competitions.
He took over from Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, who guided Leicester to last season’s Championship title before joining Chelsea.
Gary O’Neil, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves)
Wolves announced the sack of its manager, Gary O’Neil, on Sunday, December 15, 2024, after his appointment last year.
The club succumbed to four consecutive EPL defeats, losing two home games against Bournemouth and Ipswich and two at Everton and West Ham.
O’Neil’s last game for Wolves saw Algerian midfielder Rayan Ait-Nouri booked a red card after getting a second yellow card.
Russell Martin, Southampton
Newly promoted side Southampton sacked Russell Martin after their embarrassing 5-0 home defeat to Tottenham.
The Saints endured the defeat before their fans at the St. Mary’s Stadium, further compounding their wretched run of 13 losses in the domestic league.
In a statement, the club said it had taken the “difficult decision to part ways” with Martin, however, citing the “urgency of needing results to improve.”
While speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Martin, 38, noted that he was hurt as the team conceded five first-half goals to Tottenham.
Luis Carrion, Las Palmas
The first La Liga manager to be sacked in the 2024-25 season was Luis Carrion, who was given his marching order on October 8 with Las Palmas bottom of the table. He was replaced by Diego Martinez.
Paulo Pezzolano, Real Valladolid
Paulo Pezzolano, the Uruguayan coach, was appointed as the head coach of Real Valladolid in April 2023. Despite his efforts, he was unable to prevent the team’s relegation from La Liga at the end of the 2022-2023 season. However, under his guidance, Valladolid achieved promotion back to the top flight in the following season.
In the 2024-2025 La Liga season, Valladolid’s performance was underwhelming, culminating in a 5-0 home defeat to Atlético Madrid on November 30, 2024. This loss left the team at the bottom of the league table with only nine points from 15 matches.
The heavy defeat and the team’s poor standing led to increased pressure on Pezzolano, with fans expressing their dissatisfaction, including protests directed at club owner Ronaldo Nazário.
Luis Garcia, Alaves
Luis García Plaza, who took over as head coach of Deportivo Alavés in 2022, led the team to promotion to La Liga in 2023 and secured a commendable 10th-place finish in the 2023-2024 season. However, the 2024-2025 season began with a series of disappointing results, with the team earning only four points out of a possible 27 in their recent matches.
This downturn culminated in a 1-1 home draw against Leganés, leaving Alavés in 16th place, perilously close to the relegation zone.
In response to this poor run of form, the club announced the dismissal of García Plaza on December 2, 2024. The official statement expressed gratitude for his contributions, particularly highlighting the promotion to La Liga and the solid performance in the previous season.
Alberto Gilardino, Genoa
Alberto Gilardino, born on July 5, 1982, in Biella, Italy, is a former professional footballer and current football manager. He began his managerial career with lower-division Italian clubs, including Rezzato, Pro Vercelli, and Siena.
In July 2022, Gilardino was appointed as the head coach of Genoa’s Primavera (Under-19) team. By December 2022, following the dismissal of Alexander Blessin, he was promoted to manage Genoa’s first team in Serie B. Under his leadership, Genoa achieved direct promotion to Serie A for the 2023-2024 season. The team secured a comfortable mid-table finish that season, reflecting Gilardino’s effective management.
However, the 2024-2025 Serie A season presented challenges. After 12 matches, Genoa had accumulated only 10 points, placing them 17th in the league standings, just above the relegation zone. This series of poor results led to Gilardino’s dismissal on November 19, 2024.
Peter Zeidler, Bochum
Peter Zeidler is a football manager with extensive experience in European football. He began his coaching career in the early 1990s, holding various assistant and head coaching positions across Germany, France, and Switzerland. Notably, he managed FC Sion, FC Sochaux, and FC St. Gallen, among others.
In June 2024, Zeidler was appointed head coach of VfL Bochum, signing a two-year contract with the Bundesliga club. His tenure began with optimism, aiming to stabilize the team’s performance in Germany’s top flight.
However, Bochum’s start to the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season was challenging. The team failed to secure a victory in their first eight matches, earning only one point and languishing at the bottom of the league table. A 3-1 defeat to Hoffenheim on October 19, 2024, exacerbated the situation.
In response to the poor results, VfL Bochum announced the dismissal of Peter Zeidler on October 20, 2024. Sporting director Marc Lettau was also relieved of his duties. The club stated that the decision was made due to a lack of confidence in the team’s ability to avoid relegation under the current management.
Pellegrino Matarazzo, Hoffenheim
Pellegrino Matarazzo, an American soccer coach has built a notable coaching career in Germany. After various coaching roles, he became head coach of VfB Stuttgart in December 2019, leading them to promotion to the Bundesliga in the 2019-2020 season. He parted ways with Stuttgart in October 2022.
In February 2023, Matarazzo was appointed head coach of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He successfully guided the team to a 12th-place finish in the 2022-2023 Bundesliga season, ensuring their top-flight status. In the 2023-2024 season, Hoffenheim improved to a 7th-place finish, securing a spot in the UEFA Europa League.
However, the 2024-2025 season began poorly for Hoffenheim. After 11 matches, the team had failed to score in their last three league games and was sliding toward the Bundesliga relegation zone. This downturn led to Matarazzo’s dismissal on November 11, 2024.
Michel Der Zakarian, Montpellier
Michel Der Zakarian, born on February 18, 1963, in Yerevan, Armenia, is a seasoned football manager with extensive experience in French football. He has had multiple tenures with Montpellier HSC, a club he previously managed from 2017 to 2021. In February 2023, Der Zakarian returned to Montpellier, aiming to stabilize the team’s performance in Ligue 1.
However, the 2024-2025 season began poorly for Montpellier. After eight matches, the team had secured only four points and conceded 26 goals, placing them at the bottom of the Ligue 1 standings. The situation culminated in a 5-0 home defeat to Olympique de Marseille on October 20, 2024.
In a post-match interview, Montpellier’s president, Laurent Nicollin, announced Der Zakarian’s dismissal live on television, citing the team’s poor performances and the need for change.
Der Zakarian’s second spell at Montpellier was marked by initial optimism but ultimately ended due to a series of poor results that left the team struggling at the bottom of the league table.
Julien Stephen, Rennes
Julien Stéphan, born on September 18, 1980, in Rennes, France, is a football manager with a strong connection to Stade Rennais FC. He began his managerial career with Rennes’ youth teams before taking charge of the first team in December 2018. During his initial tenure, he led the club to victory in the 2019 Coupe de France, defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the final, and secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
After a brief departure, Stéphan returned to Rennes in November 2023 for a second spell as head coach. However, the 2024-2025 season started poorly for the team. After ten league matches, Rennes had secured only three wins, suffering five defeats, including a 4-0 loss to AJ Auxerre. This string of poor results left the team in 13th place, just one point above the relegation zone.
In response to the team’s underperformance, Rennes announced Stéphan’s dismissal on November 7, 2024. Alongside Stéphan, his assistants Denis Zanko and Bouziane Benaraibi were also relieved of their duties. The club appointed Sébastien Tambouret as interim head coach, assisted by Denis Arnaud and Pierre-Alexandre Lelièvre, to oversee training sessions until a permanent replacement was found.
Olivier Dall’Oglio, Saint-Etienne
Olivier Dall’Oglio, a seasoned French football manager, was dismissed as head coach of AS Saint-Étienne on December 14, 2024. The decision followed a series of disappointing results, including a 2-1 defeat to Toulouse, which left the team struggling in the relegation zone of Ligue 1.
In response to Dall’Oglio’s departure, AS Saint-Étienne appointed Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland as the new head coach on December 20, 2024. Horneland, known for his tactical acumen and experience in Scandinavian football, was tasked with revitalizing the team’s performance and steering them away from relegation.
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