Enzo Maresca has urged Chelsea’s supporters to “trust the idea” and promised to instil an enterprising, aggressive style of play at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca led Leicester City to the Championship title last season before making the move to West London after Mauricio Pochettino’s surprise departure.
Pochettino led Chelsea to a sixth-placed Premier League finish in his only campaign at the helm, also overseeing their penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool in February’s EFL Cup final.
Despite an upturn in the second half of 2023-24, Pochettino failed to win over Chelsea’s fanbase after the Todd Boehly regime sanctioned an outlay of around £390million (€464m) before the season began.
Maresca’s Leicester were known for their progressive brand of football, ranking second in the Championship for possession share (62.3%) and successful passes (25,248) last term while leading the way for expected goals (85.8 xG).
On Monday, Maresca conducted his first interview with the Blues’ website and pledged to bring the entertainment to Stamford Bridge.
“We are going to try to be an aggressive team on the ball and off the ball and we need to create this connection between the fans and the club,” he said.
“When you have your own fans behind the team pushing, it’s like playing with 12 players and this is what we have to create here.
“Trust the process, trust the idea, be behind the team. For sure we are going to enjoy the journey.
“Like at every club, for every manager, it will not be easy because nothing is easy. But for sure we are going to enjoy our journey.”
Chelsea begin their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against champions Manchester City on August 18, before travelling to Wolves and hosting Crystal Palace before the season’s first international break.