Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea manager after the Premier League let go off Frank Lampard halfway through his second season.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris St Germain coach has agreed to an 18-month contract with the Blues, with the option of extending it by another year, the club said.
“I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff,” Tuchel said in a statement.
“We all have the greatest respect for Frank Lampard’s work and the legacy he created at Chelsea. At the same time, I cannot wait to meet my new team and compete in the most exciting league in football. I’m grateful to be part of the Chelsea family. It feels amazing!” the 47-year-old added.
Tuchel met the players at Chelsea’s Cobham training headquarters on Tuesday.
Lampard, who had managed Chelsea for 18 months after taking charge in July 2019, was sacked on Monday following a poor run of form, which saw the club lose five of its last eight Premier League games.
Though praised for handing eight academy graduates a first-team debut since he took over, the 42-year-old lacked managerial experience, having spent just one season as coach at second-tier Derby County before his move to Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel, who took PSG to their back-to-back French Ligue 1 titles and the final of last season’s Champions League, was sacked and replaced by Mauricio Pochettino last month.
Tuchel’s name was in consideration even before Lampard, Chelsea’s record goalscorer, was shown the door.
With inputs from agencies
