Enzo Maresca: Chelsea appoint Leicester City boss as new manager on five-year deal

Analysis: Nizaar Kinsella, BBC Sport football news reporter

Maresca was the first and unanimous choice among Chelsea’s decision-makers.

Sporting directors Winstanley and Stewart have been working 17-hour days leading up to his appointment, alongside influential co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali.

The 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 boss 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 Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo.

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 his association with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the world, is a major positive.