LONDON (AP) — Chelsea appointed new manager Liam Rosenior on a six-year deal on Tuesday, hours after his departure from French club Strasbourg amid fans’ unrest.
The attack-minded Rosenior, regarded as a strong developer of young players, becomes the second Black Chelsea coach after Ruud Gullit, and was contracted to 2032.
Rosenior has been praised for turning Strasbourg, which is part of the same ownership group as Chelsea, into a force in Ligue 1 after a seventh-place finish last season that secured European football.
“Liam has shown that he can build teams with a clear way of playing while setting the highest standards with players on and off the pitch. While there will continue to be a focus on player development, the club’s expectations and ambitions remain high,” Chelsea said.
Rosenior’s previous jobs include a stint as assistant coach at Derby to Wayne Rooney, who praised his “incredible” work ethic and attention to detail.
The 41-year-old Rosenior has never managed a Premier League club. Chelsea last week parted company with Enzo Maresca, who spent 18 months in charge.
Moving to Chelsea will bring much more visibility and pressure for Rosenior.
The fifth permanent coach since BlueCo ownership took over in 2022, Rosenior will inherit a team which is capable of high-level success but has lacked consistency. Chelsea is fifth in the league with a 17-point gap to leader Arsenal.
“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,” he said.
Getting the Chelsea job is a rare top-level opportunity for a Black British coach in the Premier League.
“This opportunity for me is something I can’t turn down at this moment in my life,” Rosenior told a press conference in Strasbourg, adding that the perspective of being reunited with his family was an extra incentive.
“It means that I can go home and see my kids. I’m away from my children, I missed them. And I wanted to make the sacrifice of not seeing them worth it, with the success that we have here.”
Son of former player and coach Leroy Rosenior, Liam played in the Premier League as a full back for Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton over the course of a 16-year professional career, as well as for England Under-21s.
He returned to Hull for his first head coach role in 2022 and joined Strasbourg two years later. After replacing Patrick Vieira, he oversaw a large-scale rebuilding project that delivered quick results for a youthful squad, guiding the development of players such as Joaquín Panichelli and Emmanuel Emegha.
Rosenior is expected to be reunited with Emegha later this year as Chelsea reached an agreement with Strasbourg for the striker to join the club in the summer.
Rosenior leaves with his team in seventh place in the French league and qualified for the knockout phase of the UEFA Conference League.
Strasbourg diehard fans furious
His departure left Strasbourg fans opposed to the multi-club ownership model fuming, amid calls for the the resignation of club president Marc Keller.
“The transfer of Liam Rosenior marks a further humiliating step in the subordination of Racing to Chelsea,” the Strasbourg supporters federation wrote in a statement. “Every additional contortion by Marc Keller, every extra minute he spends at the head of the club, is an insult to the remarkable work done before 2023… He must leave. Now.”
Strasbourg has been owned by Chelsea owner BlueCo since 2023, and its arrival has been met by hostility by the club’s diehard fans.
In September, Rosenior hit out at fans who displayed a banner criticizing Emegha and urging him to return the captain’s armband because of his move next season to Chelsea. The partnership between the clubs was used several times this summer, most notably when Chelsea sold England left back Ben Chilwell to Strasbourg on a two-year deal.
“I don’t think anyone can question how hard I’ve worked for the club, my integrity in the way I’ve worked for this club,” Rosenior said. “I don’t think anyone can question the decision I’ve made to move on with my career.”
Chelsea interim coach Calum McFarlane will oversea Wednesday’s trip to Fulham in the Premier League before Rosenior starts working with the squad.
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Ellingworth reported from Düsseldorf, Germany.
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