Crisis-hit English Premier League side Chelsea have officially named Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City to promotion to the Premier League, as their new manager to succeed Mauricio Pochettino.
“Mr. Maresca will begin his new role as manager on July 1, 2024 on a five-year contract. There is a one-year option,” the club announced on Wednesday.
“We are delighted to welcome Enzo to Chelsea,” the club said, adding: “He has proven himself to be an excellent manager who can deliver impressive results in an exciting and unique style. His ambition and work ethic are in line with those of the club. We are fully looking forward to working with him.”
“Joining Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any manager. “I look forward to working with the very talented players and staff to continue the club’s tradition of success and build a team that will make our fans proud,” said Maresca, who added: “I am very excited about this opportunity.
Maresca’s arrival at Chelsea began to materialize late last month.
“Chelsea have officially approached Leicester City and are hoping to sign Maresca to become the club’s next manager,” global sports media outlet The Athletic reported on March 27.
After the 2023-2024 season, Chelsea will once again change managers. Last summer, Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, who signed a three-year contract with Chelsea, left the club after just one season in charge, terminating his contract by mutual consent.
The 2022-2023 season was Chelsea’s worst in recent memory, as they finished 12th in the league, failing to qualify for European competition and finishing outside the top 10.
During the 2022-2023 season, Chelsea changed managers twice in an attempt to turn things around, starting with the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, but both moves failed. The ambitious appointment of Graham Potter, who had led Brighton to success, was followed by his dismissal after a poor run of results, and the arrival of club legend Frank Lampard as firebrand failed to stem the team’s slide.
After a disappointing year, Chelsea have revamped their squad and coaching staff ahead of the 2023-24 season. First, they handed the reins to Pochettino, who has extensive Premier League experience.
Pochettino has proven his leadership skills in the past with successful stints at Southampton 토토사이트 and Tottenham Hotspur. In the 2018-2019 season, he shocked everyone by leading Spurs to the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history. He is also known as Son Heung-min’s mentor.
Since the appointment of Pochettino, Chelsea have been on an astronomical transfer spending spree. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea’s 12 summer signings totaled a whopping £419 million ($695.3 million). The £115 million they spent to sign Ecuadorian midfielder Caicedo set a new Premier League transfer record.
However, Pochettino has failed to live up to the club’s expectations. This season, he led the club to a sixth-place finish in the league with 18 wins, nine draws, and 11 losses (63 points). The following season, the club returned to European club competition with a UEFA Conference League ticket, but the club hierarchy decided to sack Pochettino.
Chelsea finished in sixth place at the end of the season, but remained in the top 10 until the mid-to-late stages. Their poor form throughout the season saw them drop out of contention early on. They were so poor that they hovered around the top 10 for most of the season.
Despite a late-season bounce back to finish sixth, Pochettino’s future at Chelsea was quite uncertain. Eventually, the Blues decided to terminate his contract by mutual consent on May 22 and begin the search for a new manager.
Since Pochettino’s departure, three managers have been touted as possible successors. Kieran McKenna, who led Ipswich Town to promotion to the Premier League in three seasons, and Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager who led Leicester City to the Championship (second division) title, were among the favorites to become Chelsea’s next manager.
After reviewing the options, Chelsea are reportedly set to choose Maresca to take charge of the club.
“After agreeing to part ways with Pochettino, Chelsea have been on the hunt for a new manager ever since,” The Athletic explained, “and they have asked Leicester for permission to hold talks with Maresca, who joined the Foxes at the start of the season and helped them win promotion to the Premier League in his first year in charge.”
“Chelsea will need to agree a compensation package for Maresca, who is under contract with 카지노사이트 순위 Leicester until 2026, and if an agreement is reached, we expect discussions to take place with Maresca about signing a minimum two-year contract with Chelsea.”
European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also confirmed the imminent signing on social media on Sunday, saying, “It is understood that Chelsea and Enzo Maresca are about to agree on the terms of the deal.”
“A two- or three-year deal with an option to extend has been finalized,” he said, adding that “Maresca has already agreed to the Chelsea project and the clubs are now willing to agree on compensation.” However, the contract announced by the Chelsea club today is an ultra-long contract of 5+1 years.
Maresca worked under world-renowned manager Pep Guardiola before taking charge of Leicester City. He assisted Guardiola as first-team coach last season when Manchester City won the first triple treble in the club’s history (Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League).
After the season, Maresca left Man City to take charge of relegated Premier League side Leicester City. Under Maresca, Leicester clinched the early Championship title and returned the club to the Premier League within a year.
Despite never managing a top-flight club before, Maresca’s impressive form in the Championship led to Leicester City’s promotion and the call from Chelsea gave him the opportunity to manage a big club.
With little to show for it yet, there are some concerns about whether Maresca can restore Chelsea’s reputation as a Premier League powerhouse.
