Real Madrid and Chelsea return to Champions League action with novice coaches after the winter break, amid a season marked by widespread managerial changes. Eleven of the 36 clubs have switched coaches, with nine firings, including recent ones at both London and Madrid. The matches highlight instability, as new leaders like Álvaro Arbeloa and Liam Rosenior face early tests against Monaco and Pafos.
A Season of Instability in Europe's Elite Competition
The UEFA Champions League resumes this week following the winter hiatus, with Real Madrid and Chelsea introducing rookie coaches to the competition for the first time. This comes during a turbulent season where boardroom patience has worn thin, leading to 11 coaching changes among the 36 participating clubs—nine of them dismissals.
Real Madrid fired Xabi Alonso just seven months into his tenure, despite the team sitting seventh in the standings. His replacement, Álvaro Arbeloa, will manage his third career game when the Spanish giants host Monaco on Tuesday. The last time Madrid appointed a mid-season novice was in January 2016 with Zinedine Zidane, a move that preceded three consecutive Champions League titles.
Chelsea, fresh off their Club World Cup success, parted ways with Enzo Maresca and turned to Liam Rosenior, who had guided sister club Strasbourg to the top of the third-tier Conference League standings. Rosenior's debut comes against Pafos on Wednesday.
Monaco and Pafos have also undergone changes. Monaco dismissed Adi Hütter in October and hired Sébastien Pocognoli from Union Saint-Gilloise, the Belgian league winners. Pafos saw Juan Carlos Carcedo buy out his contract to join Spartak Moscow, paving the way for Albert Celades—part of Madrid's 2002 Champions League-winning squad—to take over.
Other notable firings include Ajax, Atalanta (currently fifth), Benfica (who sacked Bruno Lage after a home loss to Qarabag and hired José Mourinho, recently dismissed from Fenerbahce), Club Brugge, Juventus, and Bayer Leverkusen (which gave Erik ten Hag only three games).
Ahead of the Monaco clash, Pocognoli emphasized internal focus: “I’m mainly concerned with fixing our own problems. We’ll have to play a great game to have a chance; Madrid is always a great team.” Defender Thilo Kehrer highlighted unity: “We have to be united tomorrow, work together, and if we do that, we have the quality to compete against any team.” He also noted Kylian Mbappé's growth: “Mbappé progresses every year. He is a more mature player.”
Elsewhere, stability persists at leaders Arsenal and sixth-placed Inter Milan, who meet in a marquee Tuesday clash at San Siro—first versus sixth. Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, boasts six straight wins and returns to the site of last season's only league-phase loss. Inter, coached by Cristian Chivu, must avoid a third defeat to secure a top-eight finish and direct round-of-16 entry.
Manchester City, fourth with 13 points, visits Bodø/Glimt on Tuesday, while Napoli's loanee Rasmus Højlund faces his former club Copenhagen. The league phase concludes January 29 with simultaneous kickoffs for fairness, especially for far-east teams like Qarabag and Kairat Almaty.
This matchday underscores the high stakes, with only five teams assured of knockouts and none yet in the top eight.
