‘Let the reign of the baldie begin’ — Chelsea fans celebrate Enzo Maresca’s appointment

Chelsea fans have welcomed new manager Enzo Maresca to the club with open arms, celebrating the start of the Italian’s reign, which they hope will be more rewarding than their last few managerial changes.

The Blues announced the acquisition of Maresca from Leicester City as their new manager, replacing Mauricio Pochettino at the start of next season, effective July 1, 2024.

Following the mutual departure of Pochettino, Chelsea chose Maresca, Pep Guardiola's former assistant, who recently led Leicester City back to the Premier League to lead them into the 2024/25 season. The Italian manager signed a five-year contract with an option to extend for an additional year, potentially keeping him at the club until 2029 and has already endeared himself to the Blues faithful.

Most Chelsea fans have welcomed Maresca’s signing with open arms after his announcement as the new Blues boss, with many enjoying the prospects of emulating Manchester City’s success starting by hiring a manager with a skin cut.

Other fans, however, were not as enthusiastic about Maresca’s appointment, thanks to his lack of experience at the top level after only managing Serie B side Parma and EFL Championship team Leicester City.

Chelsea will be Maresca’s first time managing a team in the first division of any league and the Italian manager could face a daunting challenge to rally the Blues’ haphazardly assembled squad ahead of a difficult campaign.