The Club World Cup champion is in trouble. Just over five months have passed since Chelsea lifted the trophy in the first global team competition organized by FIFA and its present is immersed in uncertainty. The year started with a bang for the Blues: the dismissal of Enzo Maresca as technical director. The replacement, which was already an open secret for a few days, was confirmed this Tuesday. Is Englishman Liam Rosenior, from Racing Strasbourg (France)a club that, like Chelsea, belongs to the American consortium BlueCo.
Rosenior is 41 years old and has a discreet career as a footballer that saw him alternate in the Premier League and Championship with teams such as Fulham, Brighton Bristol City and Reading. His coaching career began at Derby County, where He was assistant to Phillip Cocu and Wayne Rooneyuntil he took command on an interim basis. His first official job was at Hull City, which he managed for a year and a half until he received the call from Racing de Strasbourg in July 2024. The French team, where the Argentines Valentín Barco and Joaquín Panichelli play, is seventh in Ligue 1.
Rosenior himself had already advanced the facts in a press conference held on Tuesday in Strasbourg: “I have received offers from many clubs, including some from the Champions League, and I have always been sincere about it with [nuestro presidente] Marc [Keller] and our owners. I will love this club for the rest of my life. [por Racing de Estrasburgo]but I can’t turn down Chelsea.” “I’m very excited about the future,” Rosenior continued. I have worked my entire life to coach and lead a world-class football club. That makes me sad for what I leave behind. It is emotional, since it is my last day and the last time I wake up as coach of Strasbourg”
Furthermore, Rosenior stated on Chelsea’s website: “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, while we continue to win trophies. Being entrusted with this role means a lot to me and I want to thank everyone involved for the opportunity and the trust placed in me to do this job.”
Rosenior won’t have much time to think. The train is moving and you must get on and get it on track. Chelsea, fifth in the Premier League, visits Fulham on Wednesday. And next week they will have their first big challenge: the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Arsenal, a spicy classic. In this new adventure he will be accompanied by three collaborators who were with him in Strasbourg: his assistants, Kalifa Cissé and Justin Walker, and the analyst Ben Warner.
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