Chelsea confirm Filipe Coelho as new Under-21s coach after Mark Robinson exit | OneFootball

Portuguese arrives at Stamford Bridge after double-winning campaign at Estoril and long-time association with Benfica

Chelsea have announced the appointment of Filipe Coelho as their new Under-21s boss.

The Portuguese coach, 39, has been hired to replace Mark Robinson, who left Stamford Bridge last month after two seasons to become manager of League One club Burton Albion.

He was most recently at Estoril, whose free-scoring U23 side he guided to a league and cup double during a memorable 2023/24 campaign.

Coelho now takes over a talented Chelsea U21 outfit full of highly-rated youngsters who finished fourth in the Premier League 2 last term and then beat both Brighton and Arsenal to advance through to the semi-finals of the elimination play-offs, where they were beaten by eventual winners Tottenham.

They also reached the last four of the Premier League Cup, where they were thrashed by west London rivals Fulham, and the quarter-finals of the Premier League International Cup, losing to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.

“Chelsea Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Filipe Coelho as the club’s new Under-21s head coach,” Chelsea said in a statement on Thursday.

“The 39-year-old joins the Blues after an impressive season as Under-23s head coach at Estoril, in which the Portuguese side topped the Under-23 Liga Revelacao table.

“Coelho had previously worked in Benfica’s highly respected Academy. He joined the club’s youth set-up in 2006 and worked his way up from assistant coach of the Under-14s to being named the Portuguese giants’ Under-19s head coach ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Welcome to Chelsea, Filipe.”