Liam Rosenior closes in on Chelsea job but one obstacle remains

Liam Rosenior is now the preferred choice for Chelsea to succeed Enzo Maresca, talkSPORT understands.

Maresca spectacularly left his role as Blues boss on New Year’s Day and Rosenior is expected to take over the Stamford Bridge reins in the coming days.

AFP

The Strasbourg boss was immediately instilled as favourite to make the move to west London once Maresca’s departure was confirmed.

While the 41-year-old refused to comment on speculation linking him with the vacant Chelsea job, he acknowledged that the situation could develop quickly in the build up to Strasbourg’s meeting with Nice.

“There are no guarantees in life,” Rosenior said.

“What I do know is that I put everything into this job. I’ve created some unbelievable connections with the people at this club. We’ve created some really great memories.

“You can’t guarantee anything in life. In terms of interest for other clubs, I’ve had a lot of interest.

“A lot of approaches that I’ve always been open with the club about. Some have come out and some haven’t.

“My focus is always on the job that I do. But to say I’m definitely going to be somewhere or definitely going to do something, I don’t think that’s right.”

Rosenior will be in the Strasbourg dugout for Saturday’s visit of Nice and the Blues are hoping to appoint the Englishman before the midweek clash with Fulham, though that is not guaranteed.

In the meantime, Calum McFarlane, Chelsea’s Under-21s coach, will take interim charge for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester City.

Getty

“I was actually on the way to a Windsor light show with my family. I got a call and I said I can be in in an hour. The missus wasn’t very happy about that,” McFarlane said when he got the call to temporarily take over from Maresca.

Chelsea face stumbling block in Rosenior pursuit

However, Chelsea face a major stumbling block in their efforts to bring Rosenior to Stamford Bridge.

BlueCo group also own French side Strasbourg and their decision to appoint Rosenior hinges on how quickly they can bring in a replacement for the Wandsworth-born coach with the French side.

And the group has come in for criticism in the past for showing little regard for the UEFA Conference League contenders.

Any move for Rosenior would disrupt Strasbourg’s season, but according to someone close to BlueCo co-owner Behdad Eghbali, who was speaking with French publication L’Equipe, they ‘couldn’t care less’ about potentially derailing the French side’s season.

Porto boss addresses Chelsea rumours

One manager who won’t be succeeding Maresca is Porto boss Francesco Farioli.

The Italian, who took over for the Portuguese side last summer, has been linked with a switch to Stamford bridge.

Getty

Speaking ahead of Porto’s first game of 2026, however, Farioli ruled out a winter departure.

“There is no doubt [I am staying] and there has never been any doubt about that,” the former Ajax boss said ahead of Sunday’s game at Santa Clara.

“If I look back at my past experiences, at Nice and then at Ajax, leaving mid-season was never an issue; it’s not something that’s on my mind.

“I also have a stronger and deeper connection with the club and the president. I am totally committed to FC Porto, totally connected to our reality.

“For the first time in my life, I feel we can build something on top of the existing foundations. I am very grateful to everyone who gave me the opportunity to coach a club of this size.

“Everything else is irrelevant. It’s the kind of noise that doesn’t even reach me.”