Chelsea Football Club confirmed on Tuesday that Liam Rosenior has become their new head coach, signing a six-and-a-half-year contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2032.
The 41-year-old manager, who verbally agreed to the move earlier in the day during a press conference at his current club Strasbourg, replaces Enzo Maresca following the Italian’s abrupt departure on New Year’s Day.
Rosenior expressed his delight at the appointment in a statement on Chelsea’s official website. “I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed head coach of Chelsea Football Club,” he said.
“This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies. 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.”
The Englishman will take charge of his first match at the weekend when Chelsea compete in the FA Cup, whilst interim manager Calum McFarlane confirmed he would remain in control for Wednesday’s Premier League fixture against Fulham.
Despite his limited managerial experience of just three years with Hull City and Strasbourg, and having never coached in the Premier League, Rosenior emerged as the frontrunner for the position after Maresca’s exit. His appointment represents Chelsea’s fourth permanent managerial change since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s BlueCo consortium purchased the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
The connection between Chelsea and Strasbourg, both owned by the BlueCo multi-club ownership group, facilitated Rosenior’s transition. However, the new manager acknowledged the emotional difficulty of leaving the French club. “To be presented with this opportunity to manage a world-class football club is something I’ve always dreamed of,” he told reporters in Strasbourg. “With that is a mixed emotion of sadness of what I’m leaving behind.”
Chelsea praised Rosenior’s ability to build teams with a clear playing philosophy whilst maintaining high standards on and off the pitch. The club emphasised that despite continuing their focus on player development, expectations and ambitions remain high.
Rosenior’s playing career included spells at Fulham, Reading and Hull in the Premier League and Championship. Following his retirement, he held various coaching positions at Derby, including a 12-match stint as caretaker manager at the start of the 2022/23 season. He subsequently managed Championship side Hull before his dismissal after 18 months led to his appointment at Strasbourg in July 2024, where he guided the team to seventh place in Ligue 1.
McFarlane suggested Rosenior’s appointment would inspire English managers, noting that no English manager has won the Premier League since its formation in 1992. Chelsea currently sit fifth in the table, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, having won just once in their past eight league matches.
