‘A dream’: Maresca appointed Chelsea head coach on five-year deal

Italian replaces Mauricio Pochettino having left Leicester City after winning promotion and becomes fifth Blues boss in two years

BLUES CRUISE: Enzo Maresca left Leicester after they secured automatic promotion back into the Premier League. PIc: PA Wire

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca on a five-year contract, the new manager having accepted the challenge of returning the club to the Champions League as a bare minimum. Maresca, 44, led Leicester to the Championship title over this past season – his only full campaign as a head coach – and he succeeds Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea by mutual consent two weeks ago.

Maresca becomes the fifth manager in the two-year Chelsea ownership of Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Pochettino. The list does not include Bruno Saltor, who took interim charge for one game in April 2023 after Potter’s departure.