Liam Rosenior confirms Chelsea head coach role

Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior has confirmed his appointment as Chelsea coach following the sacking of Enzo Maresca last week, after a series of poor results and a fallout between the Italian and the club chiefs.

Maresca, who won the Club World Cup and Conference League in his 18-month reign with the Blues, parted ways with the club on New Year’s Eve, with Rosenior emerging as the leading contender to take up the role.

The 41-year-old has been in charge of Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg since the summer of 2024, and he is now on the verge of being promoted to the Stamford Bridge job.

The English manager is expected to assume his first job in the Premier League, where he will be joined by assistants Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker.

The former Hull City, Brighton and Fulham player steps up to Chelsea from the Ligue 1 side, Strasbourg, co-owned by the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-led BlueCo.

Speaking in a press conference with the French media, Rosenior admitted, when asked if he would join Chelsea (via BBC Sport):

“I was given permission to speak to one of the biggest sporting clubs in the world. It looks like I’m going to be the next manager of that football club.

“The last 18 months have been a joy and the best of my professional career. I have met some incredible people and created some incredible memories and made history.

“None of that happens without the investment of our ownership and hard work of our president. I have had interest from many clubs, including Champions League clubs, which I have always been open with to [our president] Marc [Keller] and our ownership.

“I will love this club for the rest of my life, but I cannot turn down Chelsea.”

He added: “I haven’t signed yet, I have agreed verbally with Chelsea. It’s really important, this is different to anything anyone has ever done – nobody has made a statement before they have signed a contract.

“Everything is agreed and it will probably go through in the next few hours. I’m here because I care about this club and I felt it was right to answer your questions physically here today before I move on.”

Rosenior continued: “I am so excited about the future. I have worked my whole life to be a coach and manage a world-class football club.

“That does bring sadness for what I am leaving behind. This is emotional as it is my last day and time I wake up as a Strasbourg manager. This is football.”

When asked about which staff members will be following him to Stamford Bridge, Rosenior said: “I would not be in this position without my unbelievable staff.

“I am leaving a lot of really good people behind. What I do know is that a good group of people are coming in.

“I have never met a person with such emotional intelligence as I have with Kalifa [Cisse]. Sadly for Strasbourg he is coming with me.

“I would not have accepted the Chelsea job if I was not ready,” Rosenior added.

“There are clubs you just cannot turn down. I hope the Strasbourg fans can see that and be proud of that. Outside of PSG in France, if Chelsea wants a coach, that coach will probably take the Chelsea job.”

However, it remains to be seen whether Rosenior will take charge of Chelsea’s short trip to Fulham on Wednesday, or if caretaker Stuart McFarlane will be handed a second game in the dugout before reverting to his U21 duties.