Chelsea is nearing the hiring of Liam Rosenior as their new coach. Sources close to the club confirm that the 41-year-old coach arrived in London on Sunday, marking a significant step in the negotiations.
Rosenior was in charge of the Strasbourg match, which resulted in a 0-0 draw against Nice on Saturday. After the match, the coach stated that he had not yet discussed the possible transfer with Chelsea. However, talks are expected to intensify, as Rosenior is the club’s preferred candidate.
The situation of Strasbourg, which belongs to the same ownership group as Chelsea (BlueCo acquired the club in 2022), could facilitate the signing process. Rosenior traveled to London accompanied by the president of Strasbourg, Marc Keller, and the sporting director, David Weir.
Although a definitive agreement has not yet been reached, there is an expectation that the situation will progress rapidly. An official announcement is expected in the coming days, possibly before Wednesday’s match against Fulham.
Chelsea terminated Enzo Maresca’s contract on Thursday. Calum McFarlane, coach of the under-21 team, was tasked with managing his first match as head coach against Manchester City.
The match on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw. Enzo Fernández scored a goal in the 94th minute, equalizing the score after Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring in the first half.Las conversaciones entre Liam Rosenior y el Chelsea se intensificarán tras su llegada a Londres.McFarlane was questioned about the plans for the coming days. “We will train tomorrow,” he said. “Unless I am told otherwise tonight, I will lead the session. My main focus has been this match. But, until I am told otherwise, I will lead the team, so for now, I will be in charge tomorrow.”
“When I accepted the job, I was told that I would manage the match against Manchester City, so it was three days with the group. There is a possibility that the new coach will arrive on Monday, that’s what they originally told me.”
“Obviously, it’s Sunday now, we’ve only focused on the match. I’m sure I’ll be able to get more information once I leave this press conference, but as far as I know, the new coach could arrive soon and I will lead the team until he is here.”
McFarlane also praised Chelsea’s reaction to the turbulent events, which included the absence of defender Wesley Fofana due to a virus and goalkeeper Robert Sánchez due to a muscle problem.
“I think the most impressive thing is the players,” he stated. “Losing 1-0 at the Etihad, with an interim coach, players sick on the day of the match or the day before, with all the changes and that they regrouped, assimilated that information and executed it, says a lot about the characters we have at this club. Young players could crumble in those moments, but I think they were exceptional.”
Gary O’Neill, former coach of Bournemouth and Wolverhampton, is one of three candidates to replace Rosenior at Strasbourg.
