Liam Rosenior has been appointed Chelsea’s new manager following Enzo Maresca’s sudden departure on New Year’s Day.
Rosenior, 41, has signed a deal until 2032 and arrives at Stamford Bridge from French club Strasbourg, which also falls under the portfolio of Chelsea owners BlueCo.
He spent 18 months at the Alsace outfit, guiding them to the Conference League in his first season, and leaves with the club seventh in Ligue 1.
“I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed head coach of Chelsea,” Rosenior 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. To be entrusted with this role means the world to me, and I want to thank all involved for the opportunity and faith in undertaking this job. I will give everything to bring the success this club deserves.
“I believe deeply in teamwork, unity, togetherness and working for one another, and those values will be at the heart of everything we do. They will be the foundation of our success.
“I am excited to work with this extremely talented group of players and staff, to build strong connections on and off the pitch, and to create an environment where everyone feels united and driven by the same goal.
“There is a real hunger to win, and I will give everything, every single day, to help this team compete and win at the very highest level to make everyone connected and proud to be a part of Chelsea.”
The Englishman succeeds Maresca after his relationship with the Blues hierarchy broke down, with the Italian causing a stir when, following a routine win over Everton on 13 December, he used his post-match press conference to claim he had endured “the worst 48 hours since I joined the club” in the build-up to the game.
The Independent had nevertheless been told that there was increased scrutiny on Maresca’s performance since September, despite trophy wins in the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last season.
Chelsea have won just once in their last eight Premier League outings but reeled off a well-earned point at Manchester City on Sunday, which saw little-known youth coach Calum McFarlane take charge as interim boss.
After a fruitful playing career that saw him turn out for the likes of Fulham, Brighton and Reading, Rosenior’s first managerial experience similarly came in an interim role, briefly taking the reins at Derby County in 2022 after Wayne Rooney’s resignation.
He then enjoyed a one-and-a-half year stint at Hull City before being dismissed after the club narrowly missed out on Championship play-offs in 2023-24.
Rosenior becomes the latest to cross the bridge between Strasbourg and Chelsea, joining the Blues six months before Dutch striker and Strasbourg captain Emmanuel Emegha is due to make the same move.
His first assignment will be a London derby as Chelsea travel to Fulham on Wednesday evening, followed by their FA Cup curtain-raiser at Charlton at the weekend.
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