Liam Rosenior on Tuesday said he has “verbally agreed” to become the next manager of Premier League giants Chelsea, describing the role as “an opportunity I cannot turn down.”
“It looks like I am going to be the next manager of that football club,” the 41-year-old Englishman told a press conference at his current club, Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
Rosenior, relatively unknown in top-flight English football, had been widely tipped to succeed Enzo Maresca following the Italian’s sacking on Thursday. His candidacy was bolstered by the fact that both Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by the BlueCo consortium.
If confirmed, Rosenior will become Chelsea’s fourth permanent manager since BlueCo took over in 2022, despite having no prior Premier League managerial experience. Chelsea held talks with him in London on Monday, though the club has yet to officially announce the appointment.
Rosenior said he chose to speak at Strasbourg to show his respect for the club. “Everything is agreed and it will probably go through in the next few hours,” he said. “I’m here because I care about this club and felt it was right to answer your questions physically here today before I move on.”
Rosenior’s managerial career began after a brief spell in charge of Brighton’s under-23s. In 2019, he joined Derby County, first under Phillip Cocu and later as assistant to Wayne Rooney, briefly taking over as interim manager in 2022.
Later that year, he was appointed Hull City manager in the Championship but was sacked after just over 18 months. In July 2024, he took charge of Strasbourg and led the Ligue 1 side to seventh place last season.
The Englishman now faces the challenge of stepping into the intense media spotlight of west London, where expectations and scrutiny will be higher than ever.
AFP
