The Italian coach Enzo Maresca has been appointed as the new manager of Chelsea, signing a five-year contract with an option for an additional year. He will take over from Mauricio Pochettino, who left the club after just one season in charge. Maresca led Leicester City to the Championship title last season and will officially begin his tenure at Stamford Bridge on 1 July. This marks Chelsea’s sixth managerial appointment in five years and the fourth since new ownership took over in 2022.
Despite a mixed 2023-24 campaign, Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League and secured a spot in the Europa Conference League. Under Pochettino’s leadership, the team also finished runners-up in the Carabao Cup and made it to the FA Cup semi-finals. After Pochettino’s departure, several candidates were considered for the role before Maresca was ultimately chosen.
Maresca has previous managerial experience with a short stint at Parma in 2021 and as Manchester City’s under-23 manager. He returned to City as Pep Guardiola’s assistant before joining Leicester and leading them back to the Premier League as champions. The Chelsea players not on international duty this summer will begin pre-season training under Maresca on 4 July, ahead of a tour of the United States. More details on Maresca’s plans and Chelsea’s upcoming season are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
