Chelsea announce appointment of Liam Rosenior as new manager

LONDON – English Premier League giants Chelsea on Jan 6 announced the appointment of French top-flight side Strasbourg’s Liam Rosenior as their new manager to replace Enzo Maresca.

The Englishman, who has signed a contract until 2032, said in a club statement that he was “extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed”.

“This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies,” added the 41-year-old. “My job is to protect that identity and create a team that reflects these values in every game we play as we continue winning trophies.”

Rosenior had said at a Strasbourg press conference earlier on Jan 6 that “it looks like I am going to be the next manager” of Chelsea, adding it was “an opportunity I cannot turn down”.

He said then: “I was given permission to speak to one of the biggest sporting clubs in the world... 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.”

He is expected to assume his new role at Chelsea on Jan 8, with his first game in charge being an FA Cup third-round tie at Charlton Athletic on Jan 10.

The Blues had been looking for a replacement after

sacking 45-year-old Italian Maresca

on New Year’s Day.

They were unhappy with reports that he had spoken to Manchester City about possibly succeeding Pep Guardiola at the end of the season, amid suggestions that he had tried to use a potential move as a bargaining tool in negotiations over an extended contract.

There had also been a dispute over the extent of Maresca’s authority to ignore the advice of medical staff when bringing players back into the team after injury.

Rosenior, however, will be expected to work under similar conditions, with issues such as player recruitment largely the responsibility of the club’s five-strong team of sporting directors.

He had travelled to London to meet two of them, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, on Jan 5.

Strasbourg are owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo, a consortium headed by American billionaire Todd Boehly.

A club source said the French side are finding a replacement for him. Meanwhile, the training session on Jan 5 was overseen by Rosenior’s assistants Jean-Marc Kuentz and Filipe Coelho.

Rosenior previously managed Hull City before joining Strasbourg in July 2024. He led them to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 last season.

Chelsea – fifth in the Premier League and three points off the Champions League places – have assembled a large squad of young players with limited top-level experience, with Maresca seemingly unhappy with the amount of squad rotation his side endured.

Rosenior has enjoyed a measure of success with a similarly young squad at Strasbourg and led them into the knockout phase of this season’s Uefa Conference League.

While he has never managed in the Premier League, he comes with a glowing reference from former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney.

After a short spell in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Under-23s, Rosenior began his senior coaching career in 2019 at Derby County, first under Phillip Cocu and then as assistant to Rooney.

“He’s taken chances, and hopefully that pays off because I think Liam is as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with,” Rooney said on his BBC podcast.

“He was incredible in his coaching ability,” added Rooney, highlighting Rosenior’s attention to detail.

Rosenior briefly replaced him on an interim basis in 2022 and later that year took over as manager of Hull City in the second-tier Championship. AFP, REUTERS