Chelsea appoints Tuchel as new manager

LONDON -- Chelsea on Tuesday confirmed former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel as new head coach, replacing Frank Lampard who had been sacked 24 hours earlier.

The club confirmed that the German has agreed an 18-month deal with the "possibility of an extension", adding that he would take his first training session on Tuesday and also be at Wednesday's Premier League at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff," Tuchel said on Chelsea's website, saying he was "grateful to be part of the Chelsea family."

Tuchel added he has the "greatest respect for Frank Lampard's work and the legacy he created at Chelsea," and said he was looking forward to meeting his new team "and to compete in the most exciting league in football."

Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve after winning consecutive Ligue 1 titles and reaching last season's UEFA Champions League final before losing to Bayern Munich.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia welcomed his arrival, saying it was "never easy to change head coach in the middle of the season but we are very happy to secure one of Europe's best coaches in Thomas Tuchel."