Chelsea appoint new head coach Enzo Maresca on five-year deal

By SABC Sport
3rd June 2024

Enzo Maresca has signed a five-year contract to take over the head coach role at Chelsea, following Mauricio Pochettino's exit.

In what is the third permanent managerial appointment since Todd Boehly's Clearlake Capital consortium bought the club two years ago, former Leicester boss Maresca has been installed in place of Pochettino, who left by mutual consent last month.

Under the Italian's leadership, the Foxes secured an immediate Premier League return a year after being relegated, and he steps in at Stamford Bridge following another turbulent season in which the club spent much of the campaign in mid-table.

The team recovered to win their final five games of the season and earn a place in the Europa Conference League, but it was not enough to keep Pochettino in his job, with the Argentinian leaving two days after the final league game having failed to reach agreement with the hierarchy over the scope of his role at the club.

Maresca will be the sixth coach to have managed the first team since Boehly assumed control.

Thomas Tuchel, who won the 2021 Champions League, was sacked weeks in to the 2022/23 season and replaced by Graham Potter, who after a difficult seven months was himself removed the following April.

Bruno Saltor led the team for single game before Frank Lampard was installed as caretaker, then after a prolonged recruitment process Pochettino was handed a two-year contract in May last year.

Despite a strong finish to the campaign, during which there were clear signs a young and inexperienced squad were responding to their head coach's methods, following a meeting with the owners and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart it was amicably decided that Pochettino would depart.

Chelsea have spent more than £1billion on signings since Clearlake took over ownership from Roman Abramovich in May 2022.