With a five-year contract that includes a sixth-year option, Chelsea has appointed Enzo Maresca as their next head coach, demonstrating their faith in Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement.
The 44-year-old Italian, who led Leicester City to the Championship title the previous year, has joined Chelsea. Chelsea is expected to pay him a compensation package of about £10 million.
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley spearheaded the search, and his hiring was endorsed by Behdad Eghbali, Todd Boehly, and Jose E. Feliciano, among other club executives.
They were captivated by Maresca’s excitement for the position and his ideas on how he can assist Chelsea in regaining their position as the best team in both English and European football.
“We are ecstatic to have Enzo join the Chelsea family,” the ownership group of Chelsea stated.
In the upcoming years, we hope to help him and the rest of the sports team reach their goals and live up to our expectations.
We are convinced that he can assist us in realising our vision and competitive objectives for the Club because he is a very talented coach and leader.
“To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach,” Maresca continued. That is the reason this possibility excites me so much.
“I am excited to collaborate with an exceptionally skilled team of players and staff to create a team that upholds the club’s successful history and inspires pride in our supporters.”
Because of his past work as Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s assistant, Maresca has earned the nickname “Diet Pep” from some fans. Chelsea is optimistic that Maresca will provide the possession-based style of game they desire.
‘Enzo Maresca has left his job as Leicester City’s first-team manager after the board’s requirements for his departure were met,’ stated a statement from Leicester. The club will also be losing six employees.
The group of elite coaches joining Maresca at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday was exclusively disclosed by Mail Sport. Chelsea has agreed, after multiple fruitful rounds of talks, that he should have access to the top technical and coaching staff in the world.
Willy Caballero, a former custodian for the Blues who was praised for his creative ideas while serving as Maresca’s sounding board at Leicester, will take over as assistant manager.
Additionally joining are first-team analyst Javier Molina Caballero, fitness coach Marcos Alvarez, goalkeeping coaches Ben Roberts and Michele de Bernardin, coach Danny Walker, and fitness coach Marcos Alvarez.
Before the next Premier League season begins, Bernardo Cueva, a highly rated set piece coach recruited in from Brentford, will instantly become a member of the first-team coaching staff.
Lastly, Roberto Vitiello will oversee Chelsea’s youthful core of players as development coach at Stamford Bridge.
After Pochettino, Graham Potter, and Thomas Tuchel, Maresca is Chelsea’s fourth permanent head coach since the current ownership took over in May 2022. Frank Lampard and Bruno Saltor have also served as interim managers in the past.
Prior to it being made public on Monday morning that Maresca had pulled in front of his rivals, the club had shortlisted Roberto De Zerbi, Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Frank as additional head coach candidates.
As a result, the appointment process for the Leicester manager moved more quickly.
Although Maresca has only coached Parma in Serie B and Leicester in the Championship, some supporters have questioned his qualifications. However, Chelsea is confident that Maresca is the best person to lead them into what they hope will be an exciting new era.