It was announced yesterday that Barça head coach Tito Vilanova will step down from the post due to ongoing treatment for cancer. In such trying circumstances, it'll be hard for the Barcelona hierarchy to think of other matters when Vilanova's health is of paramount importance, but they'll need to put a new man in charge as soon as possible for the good of the football club. The job is one of the most sought-after in world football, with a host names already thrown into the reckoning. Here, I look at the most likely candidates for the position.
Frank De Boer
The current Ajax head coach played for a four-year spell at the Camp Nou and is considered one of the best young coaches in Europe. He led the Amsterdam side to three consecutive league titles, as well as the Manager of the Year award in Holland for last season. De Boer has been offered opportunities elsewhere during his Ajax tenure, but he's remained loyal thus far. However, the lure of a return to Barcelona may prove too good to turn down.
Luis Enrique
Another former Barça star, Luis Enrique had a stint in charge of the 'B' team in Catalonia before moving on to Roma. Following an unsuccessful season in charge, he left the role with a year remaining on his contract. It isn't clear if he'd fancy a crack at the job having only resurfaced as coach of Celta Vigo six weeks ago. Also, despite strong connections with Barça, his time in Roma won't help his cause if he does want the gig.
Marcelo Bielsa
Former Argentina and Chile coach Bielsa loves to play all-out attacking football, as witnessed during a two-year relationship with Athletic Bilbao that came to an abrupt end this summer. The experienced 57-year-old works his players hard to accommodate the style of pressing play he prefers, often leaving them drained of energy. Whether the Barcelona squad would be capable of keeping up with the demands placed on them by Bielsa remains to be seen, but the tactics employed by the Argentinian should find favour in Catalonia.
Andre Villas-Boas
Highly respected across Europe, AVB will almost certainly be on Barcelona's radar for their next head coach. The young Portuguese boss bounced back from failure at Chelsea by leading Spurs to fifth place in the Premier League last season. He also took Porto on an unbeaten season before switching to Stamford Bridge. Villas-Boas seems content with the project he's undertaking at Tottenham, but nothing prepares a man for an offer of the top job at FC Barcelona.
Michael Laudrup
Ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid star Michael Laudrup would be a popular choice amongst fans, but recently revealed he gave his word to Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins that he'd stick around for at least one more campaign. Laudrup enforces a passing style on his team and would be an excellent fit at the Camp Nou. Previous managerial experience in Denmark, Spain and Russia stands him in good stead for the huge challenge that awaits at Barça.
Roberto Mancini
Unattached manager Mancini holds a glittering array of trophy success from his time in charge of both Inter and Manchester City, but showed weakness in crumbling under pressure towards the end of his spell in Milan. Also, Mancini has a rather poor record in the Champions League with both clubs. However, he delivered the Premier League title and FA Cup to Manchester during three years in charge, so he'll feel he has little to prove.
Gerardo Martino
Another Argentine candidate represents the dark horse in the race to be crowned Barcelona head coach. A 15-year coaching career took Martino from relatively small Argentinian clubs to Paraguayan sides Libertad and Cerro Porteño, before becoming coach of the Paraguay national team. Now back in his homeland with Newell's Old Boys, Martino appears to be sneaking up on the rails as a major threat to his adversaries for the position. On the downside, he possesses hardly any experience of European football; his only spell on the continent occurred in 1991 when playing 15 times for Tenerife.
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