Remember, in the mid-to-late 2000s, when Alan Curbishley’s name seemed to appear on the odds sheet whenever a club needed a new manager? Real Madrid have just sacked their La Liga-winning tactician? Well, how about Curbs at 1000-1.
Liverpool, England, Tottenham Hotspur; is there a club the former Charlton Athletic boss was not linked with after making his name during that iconic 15-year spell at the Valley from 1991 to 2006?
Well, Paulo Sousa feels, in some way, like a modern-day update of that very same story. Aston Villa, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace; those are just four of the Premier League-based clubs Sousa has been tipped to take over in recent years.
The 52-year-old Portuguese is reportedly on Inter Milan’s radar too, with Simone Inzaghi under pressure after a disappointing start to the Serie A season.
And with The Telegraph reporting that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s job is now under serious threat at Southampton, expect to see Sousa’s name appear somewhere in the running should Saturday’s daunting trip to Manchester City represent the Austrian’s death kneel at St Mary’s.
Ralph Hasenhuttl facing Southampton sack
Per Jornal de Noticias, Sousa came ‘very close’ to potentially taking over on the South Coast in 2018. That was before Hasenhuttl arrived to take Mark Hughes’ place. Formerly of Leicester City and Swansea, he held talks with the Southampton chiefs around the time. Sousa was even at the Craven Cottage during a defeat to Fulham (The Sun).
Now, a lot has changed at Southampton since 2018. Martin Semmens is the CEO these days. Former owner Gao Jisheng, who took notice of Sousa during his time in Chinese football, is also long gone. Furthermore, Sousa’s reputation has taken quite the hit. Ill-fated spells at Bordeaux, Flamengo and the Polish national team will do that to you.
Sousa, then, is likely to be well down Southampton’s managerial wishlist. If he is on it at all. But when has sense ever stopped the rumour mill from spinning?
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