The search for Chelsea’s new head coach continues but we now know the four-man shortlist decided by the club.
The Blues are looking to appoint Mauricio Pochettino’s successor after the Argentine left the club less than a week ago. Roberto De Zerbi, Enzo Maresca, Kieran McKenna and Thomas Frank make up the shortlist for Chelsea, football.london understands, as the club’s ownership group look to appoint their third head coach in less than two years.
The likes of Maresca, McKenna and Frank have been known to the public as candidates virtually ever since Pochettino left the club. De Zerbi, though, was only revealed at the weekend with the former Brighton manager now without a job.
Whoever it is that is appointed, Chelsea want to wrap business up as soon as possible so the new head coach has time to work with his players in the club’s pre-season tour of the United States that begins in July. After they get that out of the way, attention will then return to the real business in the Premier League. Equally, the Blues face a qualifying play-off match to reach the Europa Conference League proper. Despite finishing sixth, Chelsea will have to settle for the Conference League after Manchester United upset the odds to beat Manchester City in Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
On August 5, Chelsea will find out who they will face in the play-off match, that will be played over two legs. The first-leg of the tie is due to be on August 22, with the second-leg set to be contested seven days later on August 29.
