Liam Rosenior confirms he will become new Chelsea boss

Liam Rosenior told a press conference in Strasbourg that he had reached a verbal agreement with Chelsea and he will be the new head coach of the Premier League club.

The 41-year-old said no contract had been signed, but Chelsea are expected to confirm the move later today following weekend talks in London.

Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by BlueCo, paving the way for a smooth transition for Rosenior to replace Enzo Maresca, who was sacked on New Year’s Day.

“It looks like I’m going to be the next manager of this football club [Chelsea]“, Rosenior said this morning.

“I haven’t signed yet, I’ve agreed verbally with Chelsea. It’s really important, it’s different to anything anyone has ever done – no one has made a statement before signing a contract.

“Everything is agreed and it will probably take place over the next few hours. I am here because I care about this club and I thought it was right to physically answer your questions here today before we continue.”

Rosenior joined Strasbourg in 2024 after being head coach at Hull and Derby and leaves with the Alsatian club seventh in the Ligue 1 standings after a run of five league matches without a win. However, they are qualified for the knockout stages of the Conference League.

He added: “The last 18 months have been a joy and the best of my professional career. I have met incredible people, created incredible memories and made history.

“None of this happens without the investment of our shareholders and the hard work of our Chairman.

“I have attracted interest from many clubs, including Champions League clubs, with whom I have always been open to [our president] Mark [Keller] and our property.

“I will love this club for the rest of my life but I can’t turn down Chelsea. Being Chelsea coach is an incredible opportunity at an incredible club, the world champions. I can go home, see my children, sign for a wonderful club. I can’t turn down this opportunity.”

Rosenior will build on the platform left by Maresca

Maresca left Chelsea after a tumultuous end to his 19 months in charge of the Premier League club.

The Italian was booed by fans during the 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth on December 30, which extended the Blues’ poor league run to one win in nine matches and left them 15 points behind leaders Arsenal. Caretaker manager Calum McFarlane led the team through Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester City.

“With key objectives still to be achieved in four competitions, including qualification for the Champions League, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” Chelsea said.

In cryptic remarks after Chelsea’s 2-0 home win over Everton on December 13, Maresca said the previous 48 hours had been “the most difficult” since he joined the club “because so many people weren’t supporting me and the team”.

The 45-year-old said his comments were not about fans, but declined to elaborate or clarify the subject of his discontent.

Subsequent reports suggested a rift with the board after Maresca informed them he had held discussions with Manchester City about replacing Pep Guardiola at the Etihad at the end of this season.