Mauricio Pochettino joins Chelsea and Luciano Spalletti leaves Napoli as silly season for coaches begins

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Here comes another week at the sharp end of the European soccer stick with our first UEFA final to come between Sevilla and Roma in the Europa League on Wednesday (watch on Paramount+) before season-ending rounds of domestic league games in France, Spain and Italy this coming weekend. There is also the FA Cup final this week with promotion and relegation playoffs too so do not fear that it is all over despite the Premier League’s final day drama this past weekend. I am Jonathan Johnson bringing you the Golazo Starting XI newsletter ahead of another important week of action.

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📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday
🇦🇷 Argentina: Velez Sarsfield vs. River Plate, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Tuesday
🌎 U-20 World Cup: USA vs. New Zealand, 1:30 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🌍 UEFA U-17 Euros: Spain vs. France, 2 p.m. ➡️ ViX

Wednesday
🏆 Europa League final: Sevilla vs. Roma, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Chicago Red Stars vs. Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Portland Thorns vs. Angel City, 8 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: San Diego Wave vs. OL Reign, 10 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏆 Concacaf Champions League final: Leon vs. LAFC, 10 p.m. ➡️ FS1

Coach carousel begins to spin

After weeks of knowing that Mauricio Pochettino would be the new Chelsea boss, the Blues finally confirmed the news this Monday which takes the Argentine off the market. However, coming fresh onto the market is Luciano Spalletti who has just led Napoli to a superb Scudetto and a run which made them the darlings of European soccer under the Italian tactician. Pochettino has much work to do at Stamford Bridge with no UEFA competition in 2023-24 while Spalletti will surely have his pick for a new project when he feels the time is right given his achievements in Naples.

According to Fabrizio Romano’s latest Here We Go column, Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte is a key target for Chelsea, but there is competition from Pochettino’s former club Paris Saint-Germain for the midfielder rated around $64 million. Ex-PSG man Christopher Nkunku arriving from RB Leipzig will boost the South American’s attacking options in London, but there could still be at least a goalkeeper needed while Pochettino will also trim the group where he can given how bloated it has become in recent months since the takeover.

Spalletti has said publicly that he will not coach Napoli or any other team for the next year and that he needs a break after giving everything to land the Italian giants’ third Scudetto. The 64-year-old’s statement will not stop clubs from taking an interest, though, with Tottenham Hotspur still looking for a new man to lead their rebuild. With Jose Mourinho possibly leaving Roma regardless of Wednesday’s Europa League final and PSG expected to axe Christophe Galtier after the final game of their season this coming weekend, our Francesco Porzio looked at the coaching candidates for Napoli. Among them: Antonio Conte and Luis Enrique.

“Sometimes in life, we break up due to too much love,” said Spalletti on Monday. “Now I am not able to give everything Napoli deserves. I need to rest. I feel tired. I need to take a break for a bit. I will not coach Napoli or other teams. I will take one year off.”

Listen below and follow House of Champions, a CBS Sports soccer podcast, covering everything you need to know about the beautiful game. Make sure to tune in for coverage of the biggest games, stories, transfer news with Fabrizio Romano, and everything else going on in the world’s most popular sport.

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What next for Bayern and PSG?

Bizarrely, Germany and France’s domestic kings were crowned over the weekend and both successes were greeted with similar disdain as Bayern Munich completed their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title triumph while Paris Saint-Germain got their 11th Ligue 1 title to set a new French record tally. The German giants’ immediate reaction was to confirm the departures of executive pair Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic with this season not considered good enough after DFB Pokal and Champions League disappointment since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival as head coach.

Heads have not rolled yet in Paris, but Lionel Messi attending a Coldplay concert while teammate Kylian Mbappe was collecting his fourth straight UNFP Best Player award and Neymar rocking up in Monaco to check in Red Bull’s F1 team despite PSG boss Christophe Galtier insisting that he could not travel to Strasbourg for the league-clinching 1-1 draw suggests that big changes could be afoot involving those two.

Bayern and PSG are both expected to enact major changes this summer with Tuchel looking to rebuild the German giants on and off the field and the French champions once again looking to pursue a new identity. Mbappe has already publicly announced that he is going nowhere this summer, but it will require massive changes for the French superstar to continue at Parc des Princes beyond the 2023-24 season with the question now turning to who will replace Galtier as the leader of this almost unmanageable collection of star names.

Time for some links:

🔗 Have Newcastle, Brighton and Villa ended the Premier League’s top six?
🔗 Fabrizio Romano brings you the latest news and notes from the transfer window.
🔗 Chuck Booth on a dramatic final day in the Premier League as Everton survived at Leeds and Leicester’s expense.
🔗 Where will Weston McKennie land after wrapping up his loan at Leeds?
🔗 Booth also on Luton Town reaching the EPL against the odds.
🔗 James Benge on the big questions facing former champions Leicester in the second tier.
🔗 PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico is in intensive care after a horse riding accident.
🔗 American Jesse Marsch is on AS Monaco’s coaching radar.
🔗 In Soccer We Trust: Everything you need to know about the American game. 
🔗 House of Champions: Could Neymar be an option at Manchester United?
🔗 Attacking Third: Lisa and Sandra on everything you need to know about the women’s game.

💵 Best bets

All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and all times U.S./Eastern. SportsLine has you covered with Europa League final bets and more.

  • Europa League: Sevilla vs. Roma, Wednesday, 3 p.m. 
    💰 THE PICK: Draw (+200) — There is a lot riding on this one now on both sides with Mourinho and Roma looking to make history in the face of Sevilla’s mastery at this level. Do not expect either side to win comfortably and extra time and penalties are a very real possibility on paper. The fact that the Giallorossi are still likely to have some form of European competition next season could make the difference in the Spaniards’ favor beyond 90 minutes.
  • CCL: Leon vs. LAFC, Wednesday, 10 p.m. 
    💰 THE PICK: Draw (+240) — The Mexican club are the favorites to win this one, but the MLS outfit could make it two straight American titles if they manage to pull it off over two legs. Denis Bouanga leads scoring in this year’s edition so it is not impossible that LAFC win the whole thing, but it may well need to finish level after the opening 90 in Mexico for that to happen.

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