Chelsea have appointed former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri as the new Chelsea head coach. He succeeds Antonio Conte who was officially sacked on Friday.
Sarri joins Stamford Bridge following a successful three-year spell at Serie A side Napoli.
During his time there, the Italian, who is 59, revitalised the fortunes of the club and returned them to the Champions League while playing a scintillating brand of expansive, attacking football.
In his three years at the helm, Napoli recorded two second-place finishes in their domestic league, including last season when they achieved a record points total for a runner-up, and one third place. In 2017, he won the Serie A Coach of the Year award.
Sarri, who has signed a three-year contract, said: ‘I am very happy to be coming to Chelsea and the Premier League. It is an exciting new period in my career.
‘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.’
Director Marina Granovskaia added: ‘We are delighted to welcome Maurizio and are looking forward to him bringing his football philosophy to Chelsea.
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‘Maurizio’s Napoli side played some of the most exciting football in Europe, impressing with their attacking approach and dynamism, and his coaching methods significantly improved the players at his disposal.
‘He has plenty of experience in Serie A and the Champions League and we know he is relishing the chance to work in the Premier League.’
Along with the team’s improvement in results, Sarri’s reign in Naples will be remembered for the quality of Napoli’s play. The term ‘Sarri-ball’ was coined and he also earned praise for his ability to re-shape the structure of the squad, nurturing some of the club’s younger talents with hugely positive results.
