After months of speculation and rumours, Chelsea FC has finally appointed Maurizio Sarri as its head coach. The 59-year old Italian coach replaces fellow Italian manager Antonio Conte who parted Stamford Bridge on Friday, July 13, after two seasons.
Sarri, who has signed a three-year contract with the Blues takes up his new job after a stellar three-year stint with Italian Serie A side Napoli
Under Sarri's guidance, Napoli recorded two second-place finishes in the Italian league including last season when they achieved a record points total for a runner-up. In 2017, Sarri won the Serie A coach of the year award as well.
Carlo Ancelotti replaced Sarri at Napoli in May and Chelsea job was on Sarri's table from then.
I am very happy to be coming to Chelsea and the Premier League. It is an exciting new period in my career.
"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.
Sarri comes with a reputation as an attacking manager. He is the sixth Italian coach of Chelsea since Gianluca Vialli in 1998, followed by Claudio Ranieri, Ancelotti, Roberto di Matteo and Conte. He is also 13th managerial appointment by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich since his takeover of the club in 2003.
Maurizio Sarri is the new Chelsea head coach!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 14, 2018
Full story: https://t.co/qQwb5xZT3f#WelcomeSarri pic.twitter.com/DCNfoVCoz6
During Sarri's predecessor Antonio Conte's time with the Blues, the club won the sixth league title and eighth FA Cup. In the title-winning season, the club set a then-record 30 wins in a 38-game Premier League season, as well as a club-record 13 consecutive league victories. The stats indicate Sarri has big responsibility at Chelsea.
Along with the appointment of Sarri, Chelsea reportedly plans to line up its former player Gianfranco Zola as assistant manager. Midfielder Jorginho is expected to join Chelsea in line with the manager from Napoli. With little over three weeks left in the transfer window, Sarri and Chelsea will is expected to have aggressive players singing soon.
