Chelsea hire Enzo Maresca as new manager: What to know about former Leicester City boss

Chelsea signed manager Enzo Maresca on Monday on a five-year contract, choosing the former Leicester City boss to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge following his surprise departure.

The 44-year-old’s contract also includes an option for a further year, potentially indicating that Chelsea are planning a long-term deal with Maresca following swift negotiations between Chelsea and Leicester, which gave the Blues the green light to hold talks with Maresca on Monday. . by The Athletic. The two clubs also quickly agreed remuneration for the manager, who was previously under contract until 2026 at Leicester. The process to find Pochettino’s replacement is being led by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who were also responsible for the Argentine’s parting ways last month.

Maresca has emerged as a serious contender for the Chelsea job after leading Leicester to first place in the Championship and securing promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge. He prefers a possession-based, attacking style of play which has seen the Foxes score 89 league goals, second only to second-placed Ipswich Town.

This was the Italians’ first full season in charge of a team, with his only spell as manager being a six-month spell in charge of Parma in 2021. Maresca was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City in between and was part of the treble- winning the 2022-23 season and was also the club’s youth coach.

Maresca is expected to beat the likes of Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna for the job as Chelsea focus their efforts on a promising manager rather than someone with experience at the highest levels of the game.

McKenna was perhaps the leading candidate once Pochettino’s departure was confirmed, with his stock high after leading Ipswich to back-to-back promotions and a place in next season’s Premier League. He was also linked with places at Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United, but will reportedly sign a new long-term contract with Ipswich, by The Athletic.

It is unclear what Maresca’s expectations are at Chelsea, as he is a fairly inexperienced manager and is in charge of a team that could be severely affected by its financial situation. CBS Sports reported in March that the club could record losses of £210m over the last three years, double the Premier League limit according to its profit and sustainability rules. The club have until June 30 to balance the books and could face serious penalties if they fail to do so, something the Premier League has not been shy about in recent months. During the 2023-24 season, Everton and Nottingham Forest were hit with penalties and fines, something they had to overcome to survive relegation.

Maresca will also have the difficult task of continuing Pochettino’s only season at Chelsea. It was turbulent at times, with patchy performances, some poor results and injuries to several key players, but the former Tottenham Hotspur manager managed to steady the ship midway through the season. Pochettino guided them to sixth place, offering some optimism about the progress they can make next season. However, he left the club by mutual consent, meaning Chelsea’s new leadership group is once again looking for a manager just two years after acquiring the club.