Chelsea Eye Liam Rosenior as Enzo Maresca Replacement in Surprise Twist

Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Enzo Maresca in early 2026, just 18 months after his appointment, amid poor recent form and internal disagreements. The Italian, who succeeded Mauricio Pochettino in June 2024 following a successful stint at Leicester, led Chelsea to the Club World Cup and Conference League triumphs, finishing top four last season. However, a dismal run—winning only one of their last seven Premier League games—coupled with a 20-point drop from winning positions, lackluster holiday defeats to Aston Villa and Bournemouth, and tensions over player return-to-play protocols and media links to Manchester City, made his position untenable[1][3][4][6].

The club announced Maresca's departure on New Year's Day, shocking the football world after 549 days in charge. Chelsea, now fifth in the Premier League and 15 points behind leaders Arsenal, seek a swift replacement to maintain their existing tactical system and avoid mid-season upheaval[2][5][6].

Leading candidate is Liam Rosenior, the English manager thriving at RC Strasbourg—seventh in Ligue 1 and topping the UEFA Conference League. Strasbourg's ownership by BlueCo, Chelsea's parent group, facilitates the potential internal move. Reports from The Guardian, BBC, The Telegraph, and journalist Rudy Galetti indicate Chelsea plan a 2.5-year contract offer imminently, possibly tonight, with Rosenior potentially debuting against Fulham[1][2][3][8].

Club executives worry about disrupting Strasbourg's project, but Rosenior tops a shortlist over names like Xavi Hernández, Andoni Iraola, and Oliver Glasner. High-profile options such as Zinedine Zidane are ruled out. This "massive gamble" on the relatively unproven coach from their own umbrella aims to stabilize the ship ahead of a tricky Manchester City trip[1][3][4][7].

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