Chelsea confirm new appointment that impacts four players and Enzo Maresca next decision

Chelsea have confirmed that former Benfica academy coach Filipe Coelho will be the new manager of the Under-21s next season. Following on from Mark Robinson in the key role at Cobham, the Portuguese coach arrives in the same summer as first-team boss Enzo Maresca.

Announced just a week after academy leaders Neil Bath and Jim Fraser departed the club, Coelho comes in from Estoril Under-23s. It will be the third team he has worked at after spending 14 years at Benfica.

During his work in Lisbon Coelho coached some of the best young talent in Europe at Benfica's impressive academy system. It was at Estoril that he has had the most success though, in terms of trophies, winning the Portuguese Under-23 league title.

He replaces Robinson, who held the role for two years before leaving to take on the Burton Albion manager role earlier this summer. Under-21s coaches often work three years in the job at Chelsea before moving on.

Past managers include Brendan Rodgers, Paul Clement, Steve Holland, the late Dermot Drummy, Adi Viveash, Joe Edwards, and Andy Myers. These coaches have helped Chelsea's academy to develop top players for sides across the world.

In the first team already under Maresca are a set of Cobham graduates in Reece James, Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, and Armando Broja. Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, Mason Mount, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have all been sold in the past two summer transfer windows for almost £200million combined having come through the Surrey-based setup.

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Maresca is now working closely with some of the current Cobham prodigies during early pre-season training as well. Tyrique George and Kiano Dyer (who came from West Brom) are amongst them. Both players will be aiming to impress under Coelho as they look to step up from Under-18 football and possibly into the first team as well.

Ishe Samuels-Smith, who joined from Everton, is another expected to be involved on the tour of America later this month and stood out for the youth sides last season. Josh Acheampong made his first team debut under Mauricio Pochettino and is in the same boat.

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