Chelsea appoint Maurizio Sarri as their new manager | OneFootball

Chelsea have finally confirmed the arrival of Maurizio Sarri.

The former Napoli boss replaces Antonio Conte, who leaves Stamford Bridge after two years with the Blues.

Chelsea have been pursuing Sarri since the end of last season, when he announced he would leave Napoli. The 59-year-old did, though, remain under contract with the Serie A club and Chelsea had issues negotiating a fee to take him to London.

The delay in taking Sarri to Stamford Bridge meant Conte began pre-season training with the squad on Monday.

Sarri is Chelsea’s 11th permanent manager since Roman Abramovich took over the club 15 years ago.

On their official website, Sarri revealed his delight at joining the Blues on a three-year deal: “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.’