Chelsea have seen some of the best managers in recent football history become the head coach at Stamford Bridge, and nearly added World Cup winner Didier Deschamps to that list.
Deschamps is set to lead France at the upcoming competition in North America, with current Blue Malo Gusto in his squad.
There is excitement around the recent hiring of Xabi Alonso as the new Chelsea manager, with supporters hoping for the managerial merry-go-round to come to an end.
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Didier Deschamps would have become Chelsea manager if he had won 2004 Champions League
Many are left comparing any manager’s achievements to those of Jose Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles across two stints in charge.
He was given the chance at Stamford Bridge after leading Porto to the Champions League in 2004, beating Deschamps’ Monaco 3-0 in the final.
AS Monaco v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1
Photo by Neal Simpson/Allstar/Getty Images
Ludovic Guily, who played for Monaco at the time, told Kampo that he was set to join Chelsea after that season, and his manager would have been coming too if they had beaten Mourinho’s Porto.
“And before the final, I get a call. Chelsea call me. Well, my agent calls me and says… Yeah. He says, ‘They’re interested. What do you think?’ I said, ‘Wow, I’m thrilled.’ I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it, let’s go.’ I had nothing to lose, it was a great opportunity.
“Then something happened that I never fully understood, and I’ve never even asked Didier (Deschamps) about it. Because, basically, the deal was that whoever won the Champions League would become Chelsea’s coach.”
“That was essentially the situation. Deschamps would have gone to Chelsea. He had played there, he knew the club well.
“As for me, I had already agreed with Chelsea, although I only found that out afterwards when the move collapsed. My agent told me, ‘We’re going to Chelsea.’ Fine, I was convinced I was going to Chelsea.
“We lose the final, Mourinho arrives as manager, and then suddenly I’m told, ‘They don’t want you anymore.’”
Deschamps had already masterminded a victory over Chelsea in the semi-finals of the competition during that season, with the Blues having big plans under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.
He also had briefly played for Chelsea, being a part of the side who won the FA Cup in 2000.
The Frenchman would go on to leave Monaco in 2005, taking over at Juventus and Marseille before embarking on the journey as France manager.
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