Chelsea appear to have received a significant boost in their quest to appoint Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, with reports suggesting the French club has already started exploring potential successors.
The Blues find themselves in search of a new head coach following their New Year’s Day separation from Enzo Maresca, with Under-21s manager Calum McFarlane poised to occupy the technical area for Sunday’s challenging fixture against Man City.
The club is believed to be eager to secure Maresca’s replacement swiftly, and they moved with urgency to identify Rosenior as their preferred candidate.
The ex-Hull City manager has been at the helm of Chelsea’s BlueCo-affiliated club Strasbourg since 2024. He guided the team to a respectable seventh-place finish in his inaugural season while overseeing several Chelsea loan players, including Andrey Santos.
It seems Chelsea are gaining momentum in their pursuit of the English coach, as emerging reports indicate Strasbourg are already preparing contingency plans in anticipation of Rosenior’s potential exit.
According to Sky Italia’s reporting, Rosenior’s right-hand man Filipe Coelho stands as the leading internal candidate should Chelsea successfully secure their primary target.
Filipe Coelho previously served in Chelsea’s academy system before his move to Strasbourg (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Filipe Coelho had a stint within Chelsea’s youth setup before transitioning to the Alsace-based club (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
The 40-year-old Coelho logged time developing Chelsea’s academy prospects before relocating to the French side, mentoring emerging talents such as Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George.
He completed his transfer to Ligue 1 in July, bringing with him experience from academy roles at both Benfica and Estoril.
During Friday’s media obligations, Rosenior addressed the mounting speculation connecting him to the Chelsea position, attempting to downplay suggestions of an imminent exit.
He commented: “There’s considerable noise circulating, plenty of speculation, but as a manager, getting distracted by it means you’ve already lost. My responsibility lies here, I’m deeply passionate about this club.
“No, the players and I haven’t discussed it. There’s no reason to—they understand the situation, and we’ve shared some good-natured humor about it. But our concentration has remained on our daily work. The objective is to keep building something special here.
“Life offers absolutely no certainties. You can never predict what’s around the corner. I’m simply fulfilling my responsibilities. Speculation has been constant. I’m not in a position to guarantee my tenure here, but I’m thoroughly enjoying every single day.
“I plan to keep embracing this experience for however long I remain. I’m devoted to this club, though I cannot promise anything definitive. That’s beyond anyone’s control.”
