Chelsea confirm Antonio Conte backroom team featuring Angelo Alessio and Carlo Cudicini

Chelsea have confirmed their new-look backroom team that will assist new manager Antonio Conte. The 46-year-old, appointed as successor to interim boss Guus Hiddink in April before officially beginning his new role last week less than a fortnight after guiding Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, will be assisted by younger brother Gianluca as well as Siena, Juventus and Azzurri colleague Angelo Alessio.

Steve Holland has been retained. The long-serving assistant and ex-reserve coach, who previously worked at Crewe Alexandra and Stoke City before arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2011, has served under five different managers in Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto di Matteo, Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho and Hiddink. Alongside Eddie Newton, he took caretaker charge of the first team during their 3-1 win over Sunderland last December.

Perhaps the most significant change comes with the arrival of former Italy and Genoa goalkeeping coach Gianluca Spinelli, who will be assisted by Henrique Hilario. He looks to have replaced Christophe Lollichon amid reports that the Frenchman, a long-time ally of Petr Cech, has suffered a breakdown in his working relationship with current number one Thibaut Courtois.

It remains unclear at this stage if his omission from the latest statement means that he has been jettisoned altogether after nine years or simply moved into a lesser role. His profile still appears on the Chelsea website.

Paolo Bertelli and Julio Tous join Chris Jones as fitness coaches, with Costantino Coratti arriving as an assistant. Supporters will likely be glad to see Carlo Cudicini combine his ambassadorial role with helping out Conte. Tiberio Ancora is also on board as a personal trainer and nutritionist.

Chelsea are due to fly to the United States on Sunday (24 July) in preparation for International Champions Cup clashes against Liverpool, Real Madrid and AC Milan. They then travel to face Werder Bremen before opening the new Premier League campaign at home to West Ham United on Monday 15 August.

Conte and his troops have spent the last week in a pre-season training camp in Austria, where they lost his first game in charge to Rapid Vienna before beating RZ Pellets 3-0 in Klagenfurt courtesy of goals from Bertrand Traore, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Chalobah. Chelsea have made two new signings so far this summer, acquiring Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille and Leicester City midfielder N'Golo Kante.