Chelsea to recruit new coach internally
English Premier League champions Chelsea are believed to be looking to appoint a replacement for departed coach Ray Wilkins from within the club.
The league leaders revealed on Thursday 11 November that they would not hand Wilkins a new contract and that he would be leaving the club straight away.
Several big names had been suggested as a replacement for the 54-year-old, including former Blues star Gianfranco Zola, Steve Clarke, Mauro Tassotti and Alessandro Costacurta as well as Paolo Maldini, who played under Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti at AC Milan.
But the BBC reports that the club are likely to promote someone already at the club into the role, rather then recruit a coach from outwith the existing set-up.
Chief scout Michael Emenalo is reportedly among the main contenders, as is assistant first team coach Paul Clement.
Former Nigeria and Notts County defender Emenalo has been at the club since he was drafted in by former boss Avram Grant in 2007 and has been operating in the role of head opposition scout.
Clement, meanwhile, has been with the London-based club since 1994, when he was recruited to coach the Under-15 side on a part-time basis. After moving to Fulham, he returned to Stamford Bridge to take charge of the youth team in 2007 before moving up to become
manager of the reserve team in 2008.
He then joined former boss Guus Hiddink to work with the first team before joining the senior set-up permanently when Ancelotti was appointed manager in the summer of 2009.
Meanwhile, though assistant coach Bruno Demichelis arrived from Milan with Ancelotti, he is not likely to step into the role left vacant by Wilkins departure as he will continue to concentrate on working in the sports science and medicine department of the
club.
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