Enzo Maresca confirmed as new Chelsea head coach on a FIVE-YEAR deal after emerging as the club's No 1 choice and impressing with his 'champions mentality'... with Leicester set to pocket £10m in compensation

Chelsea have confirmed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach, handing him a five-year contract with the option of a sixth in a massive show of faith for Mauricio Pochettino’s successor. 

The Italian will officially start work on July 1, though he is already preparing for pre-season, having asked Chelsea’s data room to provide performance analysis on every player from youth level to first team. 

The 44-year-old has also requested the information of each person with whom he will work at Chelsea’s training ground, and has started rewatching matches from the 2023-24 season under Pochettino while holidaying in Marbella.

Leicester City are due a compensation package worth around £10million after losing Maresca, as well as six of his backroom staff who will join him at Chelsea, as revealed by Mail Sport last week.

Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart led the search, with the club's ownership including Behdad Eghbali, Jose E. Feliciano and Todd Boehly voting unanimously in favour of Maresca. 

They were struck by his enthusiasm for the vacancy as well as his vision for how he can help Chelsea recapture their elite status in English and European football.

Some supporters have questioned Maresca’s credentials, given he has only managed Leicester in the Championship and Parma in Serie B, but Chelsea were willing to overlook his inexperience as they feel he has a ‘champions mentality’.

Maresca is a former assistant of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola – an association which has led to him being branded ‘Diet Pep’ by some. He plans on using his first days of pre-season to explain his possession-based system to the squad and hammer home why this is a winning combination which can bring immediate success.

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

Winstanley and Stewart added in a joint-statement: 'He 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.’

Chelsea’s ownership group said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Enzo into the Chelsea family. We look forward to supporting him and the rest of the sporting team in fulfilling their potential and our expectations over the years to come. 

'He is a highly gifted coach and leader that we are confident can help fulfil our vision and competitive goals for the club.’

Chelsea have expressed their appreciation to Leicester for their maternity throughout the process in hiring their manager. 

Maresca is bringing a large backroom staff with him, including six associates from Leicester in Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javier Molina Caballero and Roberto Vitiello. 

They will be integrated with existing staff members in goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts and set-piece specialist Bernardo Cueva.

Maresca is the fourth permanent head coach to work for Chelsea since the current ownership took over in May 2022 after Pochettino, Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel. Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard previously acted as interims also.

Other candidates for the job of head coach included Roberto De Zerbi, Kieran McKenna and Thomas Frank, all of whom were listed on the club's final-four shortlist before Maresca was revealed to have pulled in front of his competition.