The 2026/27 Premier League season will begin with a record nine clubs under new managers, marking the biggest managerial shake-up in the competition’s modern history.
The 2026/27 Premier League season is set to make history before a ball has even been kicked, with a record number of clubs beginning the campaign under new management.
Nine clubs are expected to start the new season with different managers from the previous campaign, making it the biggest managerial overhaul in the Premier League era and highlighting the increasingly short lifespan of top-flight coaches.
Managerial turnover has become a defining feature of modern football, with the average Premier League manager now lasting only around 20 months in the role. However, this summer has taken that trend to another level.
Among the 17 clubs returning from last season’s Premier League, seven have already appointed new managers. That number is expected to rise to eight once Newcastle United officially confirm Matthias Jaissle as the successor to Eddie Howe. Newly promoted Ipswich Town have also changed direction, replacing Kieran McKenna with Gary O’Neil.
Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as Manager of the Men’s Team.
The Spaniard will begin his role on July 1, 2026, having agreed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Welcome to Chelsea, Xabi!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 17, 2026
The nine clubs beginning the campaign with new managers are Bournemouth, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. The appointments include Marco Rose, Xabi Alonso, Pierre Sage, Álvaro Arbeloa, Gary O’Neil, Andoni Iraola, Enzo Maresca, Matthias Jaissle and Oliver Glasner.
The remarkable journey of Enzo Maresca 📝
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 29, 2026
The figure sets a new Premier League record and represents the highest number of managers taking charge of their first league match with a club in a top-flight season since 1946/47, the first English league campaign following the Second World War.
The only season with more new managers remains 1888/89, when every club naturally began life in the newly formed Football League under fresh leadership.
There is also another significant milestone. Five of the incoming coaches—Marco Rose, Xabi Alonso, Pierre Sage, Álvaro Arbeloa and expected Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle—are preparing for their first-ever Premier League matches. Alongside Hull City’s Sergej Jakirović, six managers will make their Premier League debuts on the opening weekend, matching the competition record previously set in 1995/96 and 2016/17.
