Enzo Maresca named new Chelsea boss after agreeing to eye-watering compensation

Chelsea have appointed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach after agreeing on a whopping compensation fee with Leicester City.

The Blues had been searching for their next boss following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino at the end of last season. The Argentine joined the club in May 2023 and guided Chelsea to a sixth-place Premier League finish in his first and only season in charge, securing a return to European football.

Despite an improvement of six places, a mammoth 19 points and seven more top-flight victories from the previous campaign, Pochettino left the Blues by mutual consent after their final day win over Bournemouth. That left Todd Boehly and the Chelsea board searching for yet another permanent appointment.

And after the likes of Kieran McKenna, Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank were tipped for the job, Chelsea decided Maresca as their top target and have now confirmed the arrival of the Italian on a five-year contract. The Blues got the deal done after agreeing to pay the Foxes a compensation fee believed to be in the region of £8million.

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said: “We are delighted to welcome Enzo to Chelsea. 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. We thoroughly look forward to working with him.”

Maresca himself 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.”

The 44-year-old, who was assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City during the 2022/23 season, guided Leicester to the Championship title last term having collected a mammoth 97 points from their 46 fixtures.

A statement from Leicester reads: “Given the promising foundations established during his single season in charge, the Club is disappointed that Enzo has decided at this stage that he no longer wants to be part of our vision.

“However, with Enzo’s decision made and the Board’s terms for his departure met, we wish him well in his future endeavours. He leaves with the appreciation of everyone at the Club for his work in helping us to achieve an immediate return to the Premier League during the 2023/24 season.”

The six joining Maresca at Stamford Bridge will be Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javier Molina Caballero and Roberto Vitiello.

The new head coach will formally start his new role at the start of July, with the majority of Chelsea’s squad busy with international tournaments up to that point.

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