Chelsea have finally ended months of speculation by announcing Maurizio Sarri as their new manager.
The Italian has been heavily linked with replacing Antonio Conte as Chelsea’s latest manager for a number of months, but despite having already being replaced by Carlo Ancelotti as manager of Napoli, the Blues have struggled to come to a financial agreement with the Serie A runners up.
Things finally got moving earlier this week though, with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis admitting a deal was close to being agreed, with reports of Antonio Conte’s long expected departure emerging on Thursday before eventually being confirmed by Chelsea on Friday.
The Blues have now announced that 59-year-old manager Maurizio Sarri has signed a three year deal to become the latest incumbent in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
Sarri has been widely credited for his attractive style of football after he guided Napoli to second place in Serie A season, despite racking up an incredible 91 points, a league record for the runners-up.
“I am very happy to be coming to Chelsea and the Premier League. It is an exciting new period in my career,” Sarri told the Chelsea website.
“I look forward to starting work and meeting the players on Monday ahead of travelling to Australia, where I will be able to get to know the squad and begin our match action.
“I hope we can provide some entertaining football for our fans, and that we will be competing for trophies at the end of the season, which is what this club deserves.”
Chelsea get their Premier League campaign underway in exactly four weeks, kicking off on August 11 against Huddersfield Town as they look to improve on last season’s fifth placed finish.
