Maresca seeks a 'head start'

Enzo Maresca was the first and unanimous choice among Chelsea's decision makers.

Sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have been working 17-hour days leading up to this appointment of a man who also worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and managed Italian club Parma, alongside influential co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali.

They were the three main parties who have opted to appoint Maresca in place of Mauricio Pochettino. He was selected from a four-man shortlist, including newly promoted Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

The 44-year-old Italian is believed to be a good fit for Chelsea’s model, a highly data-driven and sports science approach, in which the various departments at the club have input.

The club is moving away from a manager-led recruitment process, leaving the manager to focus on football, which was at times a point of friction between former manager Pochettino and the ownership.

Maresca is comfortable working in this structure and excited to focus on improving players and preparing for matches with strong resources.

He has already asked the data department for profiles on every player, including academy stars, and even key club staff, as he looks to get a head start ahead of his official start date on 1 July.

It is a sign of the excitement among the new coaching staff to work with this squad as they look to add a striker and, potentially, a further defender, as Chelsea close in on a move for Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham.

Maresca is expected to take several academy players in pre-season, including Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong, with some senior players expected back late from international duty at Euro 2024 and Copa America.

Chelsea are excited to see how Maresca’s tactical approach will work with their group of players, and believe that his association with Guardiola, widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the world, is a major positive.