London: Chelsea confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as head coach on Monday after the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St Germain manager signed a two-year contract with the option of a further year. Argentine Pochettino, 51, will take over from interim boss Frank Lampard on July 1. Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League last season.
"Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record. We are all looking forward to having him on board," Chelsea's owners said in a statement.
Pochettino, who favours a high-pressing and attacking style of play, garnered a reputation for fostering young talent and led Southampton to an eighth-placed finish in his first full season in England before joining Spurs in 2014.
The 51-year-old will be tasked with reviving Chelsea's fortunes.
The London club won the Champions League in 2021, but ended this season without any silverware and stumbled towards their worst campaign since 1993-94 - when they finished 14th under Glenn Hoddle - despite their new US owners' huge outlay on players.
Pochettino is the third permanent Chelsea manager since their sale in 2022 to a consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm.
At the time of Lampard's appointment, co-controlling owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said the ex-Chelsea midfielder was brought in on an interim basis so the club could conduct a "thorough and exhaustive process" to hire a permanent manager.
Chelsea lost eight of their 11 matches under Lampard, finishing 12th in the standings and without European football for next season after their quarterfinal exit from the Champions League.
