MAURIZIO SARRI has been unveiled as the new Chelsea manager this morning.
The former Napoli boss, 59, has signed a three-year contract worth around £17.7million to take over after Antonio Conte was sacked on Friday.
Sarri 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.
“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.”
Sarri led Napoli to two second-place finishes during his three years in charge.
He joined the Serie A club in 2015 after leading Empoli to the top flight and the Blues job is his first overseas.
Following the announcement this morning, Napoli posted a classy goodbye message to their former leader on Twitter.
It read: “The club would like to thank Maurizio Sarri for the work he has done over the past three years.
Through the job he did, the players at this club have grown and improved, showing themselves to be top players and developing a style of play appreciated the world over.
“We hope Maurizio finds, wherever he goes, that same warmth, respect and affection he enjoyed from everyone at the club and in this city. Best of luck, Maurizio! #ForzaNapoliSempre.”
There is less than a month to go until Chelsea kick off the new Premier League season away at Huddersfield on August 11.
And he has a date at Wembley to look forward to a week prior to that when his new side take on Prem champions Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Sarri must work out what to do with returning loanees Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Michy Batshuayi, Kurt Zouma and emerging rookies Ethan Ampadu, Charly Musonda, Tammy Abraham and Dujon Sterling.
However, excitement will be growing amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful following his arrival.
And even Gary Lineker appears to be looking forward to seeing how Chelsea play under the Italian.
The England icon and Match of the Day presenter wrote on Twitter: “Maurizio Sarri is the new @ChelseaFC coach.
“If he creates a team as entertaining to watch as Napoli were under his stewardship then Chelsea’s fans are in for a treat.”
Sarri is also expected to have a familiar face helping him to settle in West London.
Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola is expected to be announced this week as part of the new manager’s backroom team.
Roman’s £90m merry-go-round
ANTONIO CONTE
Dates in charge: July 3, 2016 to July 12, 2018
Cost to sack: £9m
Conte signed a three-year contract in 2016 and led Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season. But missing out on Champions League qualification last term spelt the end for the Italian, set to be replaced by Maurizio Sarri.
JOSE MOURINHO
Dates in charge: June 3, 2013 to December 17, 2015
Cost to sack: £9.5m
Chelsea fans couldn’t wait to have their Special One back – on a four-year deal, no less – where he led the club to an impressive Premier League title win in his second season back. However, a dreadful start to 2015-16 saw him promptly sacked with the club in genuine relegation trouble.
ROBERTO DI MATTEO
Dates in charge: March 4, 2012 to November 21, 2012
Cost to sack: £10.7m
Club legend as a player, stop-gap boss as manager, Di Matteo did incredibly lead Chelsea to their Champions League trophy – after taking over well into the competition, in March. He was signed on a permanent basis in the summer, but was gone by November amidst a dreadful run of form.
ANDRE VILLAS BOAS
Dates in charge: June 22, 2011 to March 4, 2012
Cost to sack: £12m
Chelsea paid a world record £13m to land AVB – but the appointment was little more than a nightmare. As the Blues slipped out of the top four in February and March, the Portuguese boss was given the boot.
Chelsea’s fourth permanent manager in less than two years, Ancelotti led Chelsea to the Prem title – scoring a then-record 103 that year – and the FA Cup in his first season. However, an awful winter of 2010/11 ultimately spelt the end for the Italian, who – despite a late rally – was sacked immediately after the final game of the season.
LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI
Dates in charge: July 1, 2008 to February 9, 2009
Cost to sack: £12.6m
Scolari left Portugal for Chelsea immediately after Euro 2008 and started well. But “Big Phil” was sacked in February as Chelsea endured a rocky winter culminating in a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool and goalless draw with Hull.
AVRAM GRANT
Dates in charge: September 20, 2007 to May 24, 2008
Cost to sack: £5.5m
A personal friend of Roman Abramovich, Grant was given the unenviable task of replacing Mourinho, despite not holding the required coaching badges. Chelsea lost both the League Cup and Champions League finals in his sole season – finishing second in the Premier League.
JOSE MOURINHO
Dates in charge: June 2, 2004 to September 17, 2007
Cost to sack: £18m
“Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one”, claimed Mourinho on his arrival in London. Mourinho won the Premier League in his first two seasons and despite leading Chelsea to 64 consecutive home games without defeat, the Special One left Chelsea over reported arguments with Abramovich.
CLAUDIO RANIERI
Dates in charge: September 17, 2000 to May 31, 2004
Cost to sack: £6m
“The Tinkerman” was the first manager under Abramovich and was allowed major investment in the transfer windows. However, despite that, Chelsea failed to win a single trophy under Ranieri and was replaced by Mourinho – arguably just as the Blues were starting to find their rhythm.
Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.
Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.
The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.
During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.
Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.
The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”
Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.
In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.
Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.
His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.
Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.
While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.
Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.
The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.
The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.
On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.
The player’s entourage declined to comment.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.
The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.
Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
Testosterone promotes muscle development.
Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.
Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.
In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.
Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.
The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.
Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.
Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.
His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.
After the first sample tested positive on September 11, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.
“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.