Chelsea are expected to have their successor to Avram Grant 'lined-up' by Monday, according to reports, but any appointment could be held up by legal wrangles in Italy.
The Times claims that the Stamford Bridge hierarchy have warned those players with uncertain contract situations, such as Frank Lampard, to wait until the start of the week before furthering any discussions, by which point the club's managerial situation will be clearer.
Roberto Mancini is still the front-runner, but his appointment could be held up by a legal dispute between the Italian and Inter Milan, who confirmed they had sacked Mancini on Thursday. Mancini made it clear on Friday that he intends to seek compensation from his former employers, after they implied that 'recent events in the news' had contributed to his dismissal.
The 'events' are almost certainly the leaking of a tapped phone conversation Mancini had with a man who turned out to be involved in drug deals. While there is no suggestion that Mancini was involved in anything illegal, The Times claims: 'Sources close to his camp suggest that the timing of the leaks - a few days before the final Serie A match of the season two weeks ago - is suspicious.'
Mancini said on Friday: "The club's decision [to sack me] is based on events which have gravely hurt my reputation and my honour. "I have given my lawyer the job of protecting my image, [while] condemning the behaviour of the club in that it tried to exploit false, illicit stories."
The Italian's lawyer, Stefano Gagliardi, picked up the tale: "We abide by the national contract for coaches, which says that a club has 10 days from an alleged breach to take action, while any event referred to in the statement happened months ago.
"Mancini is angry and disappointed because he feels injured as a person and troubled; he and his family feel affected by this affair." Inter hope to appoint Jose Mourinho to replace Mancini soon, and he is understood to have agreed a lucrative three-year contract at the San Siro.
However, both appointments in the slightly circuitous job-swap may be held up by the legal dispute. Meanwhile, another candidate for the Chelsea job, Luis Felipe Scolari, claims he has had no contact yet with the club over a potential appointment. He said on Friday: "It is normal at the end of a contract for a coach to be mentioned with other clubs.
"If I take a decision, I will tell my president. But I haven't made a decision yet. My only decision now is to work until after the European Championship. "My president is Gilberto Madail. He is my representative. If he had any contact with Chelsea, I haven't been told about it."