London: Chelsea on Tuesday announced the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the club's new head coach.

Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract with the possibility of an extension. "Thomas Tuchel has been appointed as the new Chelsea Head Coach. He moves to Stamford Bridge following a two-and-a-half-year spell at French champions Paris Saint-Germain, which came to an end last month," the club said in a statement.

Tuchel will be the first German to manage Chelsea and arrives having guided PSG to four major honours and the Champions League final during his time in the French capital.

Prior to that, he spent seven seasons coaching in the Bundesliga, first with Mainz, where he led them into the Europa League, and then a successful period with Borussia Dortmund where he won the German Cup. At Chelsea, he will be reunited with Christian Pulisic and Thiago Silva who he coached during his spells in Dortmund and Paris respectively.

After joining, Tuchel thanked the club for showing confidence in him and said he has "greatest respect" for Frank Lampard's work. Lampard was sacked as head coach of Chelsea on Monday.

"I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff. We all have the greatest respect for Frank Lampard's work and the legacy he created at Chelsea. At the same time, I cannot wait to meet my new team and compete in the most exciting league in football. I am grateful to now be part of the Chelsea family - it feels amazing!" the club's official website quoted Tuchel as saying.