Frank
Lampard has been appointed as the new head coach at Chelsea on a three-year
contract, sealing a return to Stamford Bridge for the club's record
goalscorer.
Derby granted Chelsea permission to speak to Lampard last week and the
41-year-old - who will meet the media at a 2pm news conference - has now
completed a move back to his former club as the permanent successor to
Maurizio Sarri.
Chelsea are expected to pay Derby £4m in compensation for Lampard, who was
excused from reporting for pre-season training with the Championship club on
Monday.
After sealing his return to Stamford Bridge, Lampard told Chelsea's website:
"I am immensely proud to be returning to Chelsea as head coach.
"Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared,
however my sole focus is on the job in hand and preparing for the season
ahead. I am here to work hard, bring further success to the club and I
cannot wait to get started."
Lampard, who scored 211 goals in 648 games as a player at Chelsea, will be
joined at Stamford Bridge by his assistant Jody Morris and first-team coach
Chris Jones.
'One of most talented young coaches in game'
After appointing Lampard, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia told the
club's website: "It gives us great pleasure to welcome Frank back to Chelsea
as head coach.
"Frank possesses fantastic knowledge and understanding of the club and last
season he demonstrated he is one of the most talented young coaches in the
game.
"After 13 years with us as a player, where he became a club legend and our
record goalscorer, we believe this is the perfect time for him to return and
are delighted he has done so. "We will do everything we can to ensure he has
all the support required to be a huge success."
Lampard returns to Chelsea after just one season in management, during which
he led Derby to the Championship play-off final.
Derby chairman Mel Morris - who is expected to appoint Phillip Cocu as
Lampard's successor - told the Rams' website: "Frank, along with Jody and
Chris, leave with our best wishes and I sincerely hope they have success at
Chelsea.
"I thoroughly enjoyed working with Frank and while we would have loved his
time at Derby to continue, to build on the positives we saw last season, the
opportunity for him to return to Chelsea as their head coach was huge."
Lampard also reflected on his year at Derby, telling their website: "I would
like to say a special thank you to Mel Morris, the players, staff and
everyone who is associated with Derby. It has been a fantastic experience
for me, and I feel privileged to have managed such a prestigious club.
"Most of all, I want to thank the fans who supported me and the team from
the day I arrived in the city. I wish everyone the best of luck going
forward."
Chelsea's transfer ban explained
Lampard's predecessor Maurizio Sarri led Chelsea to third place in the
Premier League and won the Europa League before departing for Juventus after
just one season in London.
However, Lampard will have to contend with the two-window registration ban
handed to the club by FIFA after they were found guilty of breaching rules
regarding the signing of U18 players. Chelsea have appealed to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport.
Lampard will be able to call on Christian Pulisic, who signed from Borussia
Dortmund in January but spent the second half of last season on loan in
Germany, and Mateo Kovacic, who made his loan deal permanent this week.
However, Chelsea will not be able to sign any more players until next summer
- pending the outcome of their appeal - meaning Lampard may have to rely on
some of the many players who spent the previous season out on loan.
Two of those who could come into Lampard's plans are Mason Mount and Fikayo
Tomori, who impressed at Derby under his management last season.
Redknapp: Astute move - but give Lampard time
Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp praised Chelsea's decision to call upon a club
legend but, amid a transfer ban, urged patience from club chiefs.
"It's a great move, not just for Frank but for Chelsea too. It's astute, you
need someone who can stabilise the club somewhat when you've lost your best
player and under a transfer embargo.
"They've got one of their own, the fans adore him. He'll need time, there'll
be a lot of changes; you can't bring any personnel in to replace a big-name
star like Eden Hazard. He'll need to be given time, but he will - because
he's Frank Lampard.
"The expectation will be to finish in the top four, but they've got to be
realistic. I think there'll be moments in the season where it'll be a
struggle, because of the Hazard effect. It doesn't matter what manager you
have - Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, anyone - they are going to struggle
without that quality of player. But if they were to finish in the top four,
that would be an amazing season considering the embargo and everything
else."
'Roman Abramovich has never been one for sentimentality. His Chelsea reign
is best defined as a ruthless pursuit of success. In 16 years, there have
been 14 managerial changes. The short-term approach has yielded 16 major
trophies, so it is no great surprise that Maurizio Sarri was allowed to
depart despite his Europa League final win over Arsenal. Business as usual.
'At the same time, though, it is impossible not to see sentimentality in the
decision to appoint Frank Lampard as his successor. The former midfielder
showed managerial promise at Derby, reaching the Championship play-off final
in his first season in charge, but it is his storied history with Chelsea
that has driven his return.'
A transfer ban will mean Lampard must maximise the resources already at his
disposal - and that could mean opportunities for some of Chelsea's talented
youngsters.
Lampard's assistant manager and fellow ex-Blue, Jody Morris, spent four
years working with Chelsea's youth teams and knows the club's next
generation well, while Lampard showed he is happy to hand developing players
responsibility while at Derby.
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