Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Liam Rosenior as their new head coach, handing the 41-year-old a six-year contract following the departure of Enzo Maresca.
The club announced the decision on Tuesday, shortly after Rosenior revealed at a farewell press conference at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg that he had verbally agreed to take over at Stamford Bridge. The move was subsequently finalised.
“I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed head coach of Chelsea Football Club,” Rosenior said in a statement released on the club’s official website.
“Chelsea is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies. My responsibility is to protect that identity and build a team that reflects these values in every match as we continue to compete for honours,” he added.
Rosenior, who has just three years of managerial experience and no previous Premier League coaching record, had emerged as the leading candidate to replace Maresca after the Italian was dismissed last Thursday.
Both Chelsea and Strasbourg are owned by the BlueCo consortium, with Rosenior becoming Chelsea’s fourth permanent head coach since the group took over the club in 2022.
Explaining his decision to announce the move in Strasbourg, Rosenior said he felt a strong emotional connection to the French club.
“Everything is agreed and it will probably go through in the next few hours,” he told reporters earlier on Tuesday. “I wanted to be here in person because I care deeply about this club and felt it was important to answer questions here before moving on.”
The former Hull City manager acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead, admitting he is yet to experience the intense scrutiny that comes with managing a top Premier League side.
“I’m incredibly excited about what lies ahead,” he said. “I’ve worked my whole life to be a coach, and managing a world-class club like Chelsea is a dream come true. At the same time, there is sadness about what I’m leaving behind.”
Rosenior enjoyed a playing career in the Premier League and Championship, turning out for clubs including Fulham, Reading and Hull City. He later served as a coach at Derby County under Phillip Cocu and Wayne Rooney, briefly stepping in as interim manager in 2022.
He was appointed Hull City manager later that year but was dismissed after 18 months. In July 2024, he joined Strasbourg and guided the club to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 last season.
Maresca, who led Chelsea to UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup titles in his debut season, left the club on New Year’s Day following rising tensions in recent weeks.
Chelsea’s Under-21s coach, Calum McFarlane, oversaw the team’s 1–1 draw away to Manchester City on Sunday. The Blues are next in action against London rivals Fulham on Wednesday.
