Calum McFarlane says troubled Chelsea still attractive to potential managers
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Chelsea's English interim manager Calum McFarlane celebrating on the pitch after their 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds United at Wembley on April 26.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane insists the Blues remain an attractive club for prospective managers, despite their latest turbulent campaign.
The 40-year-old is in his second spell as Chelsea’s stand-in manager this season following Liam Rosenior’s sacking on April 22.
Rosenior lasted just 107 days after arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca, whose 18-month reign ended in January following hints of a lack of support from Chelsea’s hierarchy.
Owner BlueCo is searching for Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager since buying the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
The west Londoners have had eight managers in the past 10 years, excluding interims, leaving Chelsea with a potential perception problem as they seek to lure a new boss to Stamford Bridge.
But McFarlane, who has led Chelsea to the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 16, is adamant his club remain a tempting proposition for top managers.
“I don’t think I have to sell that, in all honesty, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world, with a great history of winning,” the Englishman told reporters on May 1.
“We’ve got some unbelievable players, some of the best players in the world, great training facilities. You’ve got everything you could want.”
Chelsea have been linked with Bournemouth’s outgoing boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham manager Marco Silva and former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, among others.
But their hopes of luring a quality replacement for Rosenior will be hindered if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
McFarlane’s side are ninth in the English Premier League, with only the top five teams guaranteed to reach Europe’s elite club competition.
The Blues are 10 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa with just four games left, starting with the home clash against Nottingham Forest on May 4.
“We just have to keep winning our games. The mood has been lifted after a recent run of losses,” McFarlane said.
After reports of disharmony among Chelsea’s squad during Rosenior’s reign, McFarlane said Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro going to watch tennis in Madrid this week showed the team are still united.
“It says a lot of the group that they go away together. I love that they spend time together,” he said.
“They went to Madrid to watch tennis, I don’t see an issue. It is positive sign for the unity of the group.”
Forest, meanwhile, are five points above the relegation zone in 16th on 39 points.
They approach the game on a high, after beating Villa 1-0 at home in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final in midweek via a Chris Wood penalty.
Said manager Vitor Pereira: “I will try to think just about the Chelsea game because it’s our Champions League. It’s very important for us. And we will try to go there to compete... In this moment, we need to run and fight.” AFP
