Chelsea board feel incoming Italian ‘is the man for them’

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol has claimed that Chelsea feel that Enzo Maresca is the man to lead the club back into the Champions League

The Italian boss has just led Leicester back to the Premier League and it has been reported that the Chelsea board have been impressed with the possession based football that Maresca will bring to the club.

The length of contract reflects the fact that everyone is focused on bringing long-term success back to Chelsea and ends any future speculation about renewals.

Chelsea co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart had travelled to Marbella for face-to-face talks with Maresca after Leicester gave permission for discussions to commence and have now agreed a deal for the boss.

Solhekol told Sky Sports: “CHELSEA have had a very thorough process with Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi all considered, but they feel Maresca is the one for them.

“The others were all very impressive candidates, but Chelsea feel at this moment in time that Maresca is the man for them, and he shares their vision for the future.

“He’s only been a manager for one-and-a-half seasons. He was a manager at Parma in the Italian second division and then he got the Leicester job.

“There have been some issues behind the scenes and not all Leicester fans have been completely happy with him even though he got them promotion back to the Premier League

“There were problems about recruitment and problems around the fact that Leicester have been charged for allegedly breaking PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) and they’re also under a transfer embargo from the EFL.

“There have been issues, but CHELSEA just want a head coach. They want somebody who is going to coach the first-team squad and deal with the media. Everything else, they feel they have in place.

“You have to remember that Mikel Arteta didn’t have any prior experience of having managed in the Premier League before joining Arsenal, but he had worked under Pep Guardiola which is exactly the same as Maresca.

“I’m not saying he’s a better manager than Arteta, but he has more experience than he did when he took over at Arsenal.

“Don’t underestimate the Pep effect. If you’ve worked under Guardiola, you’ve got a head-start when going for these sorts of jobs, however, you still have to impress, which Maresca has done during these talks.

“I’ve been told that his knowledge of the Chelsea squad, including the youth team players is encyclopaedic.”

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