Chelsea Appoint Former Leicester Boss Enzo Maresca

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new head coach. This follows the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, whom the club sacked after the conclusion of the season.

Chelsea has opted for another managerial change since the Todd Boehly takeover.

What Happened with Pochettino

Pochettino, 52, took charge of Chelsea on 1 July 2023, signing a two-year contract with a 12-month option.

When the Argentine took office, the fans with Chelsea tickets felt like the club was finally in the right direction.

Earlier, the disagreements between Tuchel and Todd Boehly saw him sacked to be replaced by Brighton boss Graham Potter.

Potter’s stint didn’t last long, and they had to leave with an interim manager to see the rest of the season.

When Pochettino came in, the fans with Chelsea tickets saw the potential that they finally have a winning combination. But they were miles behind.

The Argentine was under pressure after an underwhelming first half of the season but a run of five successive wins to end the season ensured they finished sixth in the Premier League.

Chelsea were also runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

“Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity,” Pochettino said.

“The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.”

The club is searching for a young head coach instead of a more seasoned individual to take charge of the Blues. Earlier, there were reports that Jose Mourinho could return to Stamford Bridge, but the club dismissed these speculations.

Pochettino was Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager in five years, following the sackings of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. This led to Frank Lampard taking charge on a temporary basis at the end of the 2022-23 season.

“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season,” sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said.

“He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time, and we wish him all the best in his future coaching career.”

Coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino have also left.

New Coach Appointment

Chelsea have announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new head coach.

He has signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge plus the option of a sixth.

He will bring six members of his coaching staff with him, including former Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero, who was Maresca’s assistant at Leicester City. Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javier Molina Caballero and Roberto Vitiello will also move to Stamford Bridge from Leicester with Maresca.

Chelsea and Leicester signed an agreement on Sunday, settling on compensation in the region of £10million.

“To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world is a dream for any coach,” Maresca said. “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.”

Chelsea is said to be sensitive to the disruption Leicester experienced before returning to the Premier League and appreciates the professionalism they displayed throughout.

Maresca, 44, was appointed at Leicester last summer and guided them to the Championship title and automatic promotion to the Premier League.

The former Manchester City assistant spent time on the coaching staff of Sevilla and West Ham United before a short spell as Parma’s head coach in Italy’s second tier at the start of the 2021-22 season, where he was sacked after only six wins in 14 games.

Maresca’s attention to detail has immediately impressed Chelsea, who has already requested performance analysis on all squad members, from the youth teams to the senior squad.

Potential with Enzo?

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said: “Enzo 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 leading up to his appointment. His ambitions and work ethic align with those of the club. We thoroughly look forward to working with him.”

During a long career, Maresca played for clubs including West Bromwich Albion, Juventus, Fiorentina and Sevilla before retiring in 2017.

Maresca is now the sixth manager since the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-led club takeover in 2022.

Chelsea regulars with Chelsea tickets will have doubts about Maresca. What can’t be questioned is how committed Maresca is to the job and how hungry he is to succeed. Maresca is nothing if not meticulous. He could even be described as a workaholic.

Maresca did his homework after stepping down from Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the English and European champions to the Championship.

He watched every game of Leicester’s relegation season—sometimes more than once—to see what he was working with. His preparation for every game also consisted of hours of footage of the opposition, studying their approach.

Maresca is friendly and jovial with his squad and has an open-door policy for players needing to share issues, on and off the pitch. But they have yet to be doubtless about what he expects.

Maresca will inherit the most expensive squad in the Premier League. 

The new management has spent over a billion pounds over the last two seasons on young and prospective talents.

The fans expected the team to blend well with the stars they signed, but they still needed to come together to play as a team. With Maresca, who has a reputation for gelling well with the players and building relationships, the fans with Chelsea tickets hope that the team chemistry will be restored.

Chelsea was also looking to sell some of its stars even before the season concluded, but it looks like the exits will be on a pause as they will need to reassess the new boss’s requirements.

The new manager already has plans for his first signing, Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham, who will join on a free transfer.