Chelsea confirm Liam Rosenior appointment

Chelsea have named Liam Rosenior as their new head coach on a six-and-a-half-year contract.

The announcement was widely expected after Rosenior held a press conference in Strasbourg this morning to confirm he would be leaving the Ligue 1 club to move to Stamford Bridge.

The 41-year-old succeeds Enzo Maresca in the role after the Italian was sacked on New Year’s Day. Calum McFarlane oversaw Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City which left the West London club fifth in the Premier League standings.

Chelsea ‘delighted’ to confirm Rosenior appointment

A Chelsea statement read: “Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Liam Rosenior as head coach of the men’s team.

“The Englishman has signed a contract with the club that will take him through to 2032. 

“Rosenior arrives at Stamford Bridge after coaching overseas with RC Strasbourg, where he led the French club to European qualification for the first time in 19 years in his first season, and following earlier roles in England with Hull City and Derby County.”

Strasbourg and Chelsea are both owned by BlueCo, making Rosenior’s move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League relatively straightforward.

 “I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed head coach of Chelsea Football Club. This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies,” Rosenior told the club’s official website.

“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. To be entrusted with this role means the world to me and I want to thank all involved for the opportunity and faith in undertaking this job. I will give everything to bring the success this club deserves.

“I believe deeply in teamwork, unity, togetherness and working for one another, and those values will be at the heart of everything we do. They will be the foundation of our success.”

There is a real hunger to win at Chelsea – Rosenior 

He added: “I am excited to work with this extremely talented group of players and staff, to build strong connections on and off the pitch, and to create an environment where everyone feels united and driven by the same goal. 

“There is a real hunger to win, and I will give everything, every single day, to help this team compete and win at the very highest level to make everyone connected and proud to be a part of Chelsea Football Club.

“I want our fans to be proud of who we are and what we represent in every single game that we play. They are the soul of this enormous, historic and huge football club.

“I cannot wait to meet you all. I cannot wait to get started.”

No change in policy at Chelsea despite Maresca departure

Maresca was dismissed despite helping the club to two trophies, the Conference League and the Club World Cup last summer.

The Italian hinted at a breakdown in relations with the club’s board with reports suggesting one of the reasons was the fact he had held conversations with Manchester City over replacing Pep Guardiola at the Etihad at the end of this season.

Chelsea’s model in recent seasons has been to sign young players and that appears to continue despite the change in coach.

The club’s statement added: “Liam has shown that he can build teams with a clear way of playing while setting the highest standards with players on and off the pitch. While there will continue to be a focus on player development, the club’s expectations and ambitions remain high. 

“Liam has the ability to get the best out of this squad quickly and joins us with the responsibility and the backing to ensure Chelsea continues to compete at the top level in all competitions this season and in seasons to come.”

I will love Strasbourg for the rest of my life, says Rosenior

Rosenior’s decision to leave Strasbourg was not one he took lightly and, following talks in London with Chelsea yesterday, he flew back to France to explain his reasons to the club’s supporters.

At a hastily arranged press conference he said: “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. Being Chelsea coach is an unbelievable opportunity at an incredible club, the world champions. I can go home, see my kids, sign for a magnificent club. I can’t turn down this opportunity.”

Rosenior short on experience at elite level

His appointment is likely to be met with a little bit of scepticism from the Chelsea fans given a relatively short coaching career.

He worked under Wayne Rooney at Derby before a three-month spell as interim manager ended in September 2022.

He was named Hull boss a fortnight later and led them to a 15th-placed finish in the Championship.

The Tigers finished seventh the season after, narrowly missing out on the playoffs, but a disagreement over philosophy with owner Acun Ilicali saw him dismissed.

Rosenior was named as the successor to Patrick Vieira at Strasbourg in July 2024 and guided the club to another seventh-placed finish. He leaves with the club in seventh having also qualified for the knockout stages of the Conference League.