Chelsea have appointed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach.
The 44-year-old, who succeeds Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge, strikes from Leicester after main them again to the Premier League by successful the Championship.
Maresca has signed a five-year deal – with the choice for an additional 12 months – at Stamford Bridge and was Chelsea’s No 1 selection from a shortlist together with Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna and Roberto De Zerbi, who left Brighton on the finish of the season.
A press release from Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting administrators, mentioned: “We are delighted to welcome Enzo to Chelsea. He has proven himself to be an excellent coach capable of delivering impressive results with an exciting and identifiable style.
“Enzo has deeply impressed us in our discussions main as much as his appointment. His ambitions and work ethic align with these of the membership. We completely sit up for working with him.”
Maresca mentioned: “To hitch Chelsea, one of many largest golf equipment on this planet, is a dream for any coach. It’s why I’m so excited by this chance.
“I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club’s tradition of success and makes our fans proud.”
Chelsea are understood to have paid between £8m and £10m to launch Maresca from his Leicester contract.
Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javi Molina and Roberto Vitiello be a part of Maresca at Chelsea having additionally labored with him at Leicester.
Chelsea have additionally confirmed the arrival of Bernardo Cueva from Brentford because the lead of their set-piece division.
The method to nominate Maresca was led by Winstanley and Stewart, who held face-to-face talks with the top coach in Marbella final week.
Chelsea had been understood to be impressed by Maresca’s “champion’s mentality” and the depth of the Italian’s data about their squad in talks along with his representatives, in addition to his concentrate on the best way the workforce wish to play and his want for the job.
Maresca’s obsession with possession and positional play made him the main candidate to exchange Pochettino, who left by mutual consent simply two days after guiding Chelsea to a sixth-place Premier League end.
The size of Maresca’s contract displays that Chelsea are centered on bringing long-term success again to the membership, with senior figures on the membership believing he would be the closing piece of the jigsaw to suit into the brand new, trendy construction they’ve constructed.
Chelsea count on to be busy within the switch market this summer season, with gamers coming and going. Buying and selling is more likely to see the signing of a brand new No 9 and centre-back, whereas the futures of high-earners resembling Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga have to be resolved.
‘Chelsea really feel Maresca is the one for them’
Enzo Maresca had a quick spell at Parma earlier than guiding Leicester again into the Premier League
Sky Sports activities Information chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
“Chelsea have had a very thorough process with Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi all considered, but they feel Maresca is the one for them.
“The others had been all very spectacular candidates, however Chelsea really feel at this second in time that Maresca is the person for them and he shares their imaginative and prescient for the long run.
“He’s only been a manager for one-and-a-half seasons. He was a manager at Parma in the Italian second division and then he got the Leicester job.
“There have been some points behind the scenes and never all Leicester followers have been utterly proud of him, despite the fact that he acquired them promotion again to the Premier League.
“There have been issues about recruitment and issues round the truth that Leicester have been charged for allegedly breaking PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Guidelines). They’re additionally below a switch embargo from the EFL.
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Sky Sports activities’ Sam Blitz and Simeon Gholam check out what Leicester’s Enzo Maresca and Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna might deliver to the Premier League and why they’re in such excessive demand
“There have been issues but Chelsea just want a head coach. They want somebody who is going to coach the first-team squad and deal with the media. Everything else, they feel they have in place.
“It’s a must to do not forget that Mikel Arteta did not have any prior expertise of getting managed within the Premier League earlier than becoming a member of Arsenal however he had labored below Pep Guardiola, which is precisely the identical as Maresca.
“I’m not saying he’s a better manager than Arteta but he has more experience than he did when he took over at Arsenal.
“Do not underestimate the Pep impact. For those who’ve labored below Guardiola, you’ve got acquired a head-start when going for these types of jobs. Nonetheless, you continue to need to impress, which Maresca has accomplished throughout these talks.
“I’ve been told that his knowledge of the Chelsea squad, including the youth team players, is encyclopaedic.”
