Enzo Maresca has already started planning how he will prove to Chelsea’s players that he has the winning Stamford Bridge formula.
The Italian has now been confirmed as Chelsea’s new head coach, the sixth man to lead the Blues in the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era, counting temporary appointments.
The 44-year-old has left Leicester after Chelsea struck a £10million compensation agreement, with Blues bosses appreciative of their counterparts at the East Midlands club for how they handled negotiations.
Maresca will officially start work at Chelsea on July 1, when pre-season swings into action.
But the former West Brom, Juventus and Sevilla midfielder has already been busy prepping for the biggest challenge of his young managerial career. And Pep Guardiola’s former Manchester City assistant is itching to show Chelsea’s players exactly how he believes he can get the best out of the Stamford Bridge squad.
Maresca is said to have reacted to sealing his big Chelsea move by telling those close to him that he wished pre-season was starting straight away.
Maresca had already told Chelsea across the interview process that he was impressed with the balance and make-up of the Blues’ senior squad. Now, though, he wants to press on and seize the chance to explain first-hand just how he will employ his tactical blueprint at the west London club.
Maresca stepped away from his family holiday for talks with Chelsea that led to him beating Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank to the Blues job.
Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent on May 21, having steered the Blues to a sixth-place finish in his sole season at the Stamford Bridge helm.
The former Tottenham coach had run into differences of opinions with the Chelsea hierarchy on how the club should move forward in the future. His exit left the Blues seeking a fourth permanent appointment in the two years of the new owners’ tenure, but Chelsea have now thrown their full backing behind Maresca to launch the club’s new era.
