- The Italian becomes the fourth permanent manager of the current owners’ era
- He leaves Leicester having secured them promotion back to the Premier League
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Chelsea have confirmed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach, showing their confidence in Mauricio Pochettino’s successor by handing him a five-year contract with the option of a sixth.
The 44-year-old Italian has joined from Leicester City, who he led to the Championship title last season and will be due a compensation package worth around £10million from Chelsea.
Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart led the search, with the club’s executives including Behdad Eghbali, Jose E Feliciano and Todd Boehly collectively endorsing his appointment.
They were struck by Maresca’s enthusiasm for the vacancy as well as his vision for how he can help Chelsea recapture their elite status in English and European football.
‘We are thrilled to welcome Enzo into the Chelsea family,’ Chelsea’s ownership group said.
Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca (pictured) as their new manager
Maresca led Leicester back to the top flight at the first time of asking after joining in summer 2023
Maresca replaces Mauricio Pochettino (above), who left the club by mutual consent in May
‘We look forward to supporting him and the rest of the sporting team in fulfilling their potential and our expectations over the years to come.
‘He is a highly gifted coach and leader that we are confident can help fulfill our vision and competitive goals for the Club.’
Maresca added: ‘To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach. It is why I am so excited by this opportunity.
‘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.’
Maresca is a former assistant of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, an association which has led to him being christened ‘Diet Pep’ by some supporters, and Chelsea are confident he will bring the possession-based brand of football they want.
A statement from Leicester read: ‘Enzo Maresca has left his position as Leicester City’s first-team manager after the board’s terms for his departure were met. Six staff members will also be leaving the club.’
Mail Sport exclusively revealed the group of best-in-class coaches set to join Maresca at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, with Chelsea agreeing during several positive rounds of conversations that he should have access to the world’s most skilled coaching and technical staff.
Former Blues goalkeeper Willy Caballero will join Maresca as assistant manager, having won praise for his innovative ideas while acting as a sounding board for the Italian at Leicester.
Maresca is the fourth permanent manager under owners Todd Boehly (left) and Behdad Eghbali (right)
He spent two periods at Manchester City, including a year as assistant to Pep Guardiola (centre)
Coach Danny Walker, goalkeeping coaches Michele de Bernardin and Ben Roberts, fitness coach Marcos Alvarez and first-team analyst Javier Molina Caballero are also joining.
Bernardo Cueva, a highly-regarded set piece coach who has been brought in from Brentford, will immediately join the first-team coaching staff ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
Finally, Roberto Vitiello will act as development coach at Stamford Bridge and be tasked with nurturing Chelsea’s core of young players.
Maresca is the fourth permanent head coach to work for Chelsea since the current ownership took over in May 2022, after Pochettino, Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel. Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard previously acted as interims also.
Other candidates for the job of head coach included Roberto De Zerbi, Kieran McKenna and Thomas Frank, all of whom were on the club’s shortlist before Maresca was revealed to have pulled in front of his competition on Monday morning.
His association with Guardiola has led to him being christened ‘Diet Pep’ by some supporters
That led to an acceleration in efforts to appoint the Leicester manager.
Some supporters have questioned Maresca’s credentials, having only managed Leicester in the Championship and Parma in Serie B, but Chelsea have full confidence in him being the right candidate to take them forward in what they see as an exciting new era.
