Chelsea Snubbed Former Player in Favour of Liam Rosenior—Report

There’s been an emphatic response to the Blues’ latest managerial move.

Liam Rosenior was still under contract at Strasbourg when he moved to sister club Chelsea. / Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea decided against appointing former player and current Flamengo manager Filipe Luís in favour of hiring Liam Rosenior, reports state.

Rosenior has signed a contract at Stamford Bridge running until 2032 after spending 18 months in charge of Strasbourg, with Chelsea insisting they paid their sister club “market rate” when buying the 41-year-old out of his contract.

The Telegraph report formal permission was given for Chelsea to discuss the role with Rosenior on Monday, and it didn’t take long for the former Hull City manager to agree to what his first Premier League managerial role.

There’s been uproar on social media about Chelsea’s funneling of Rosenior into the role, but it’s stated that he was appointed after the Blues had interviewed Luís, who won the Premier League title with the club during 2014–15—his only season with the club.

Luís has gone to enjoy great success on the touchline for Brazilian behemoths Flamengo, winning the Copa Libertadores, Brasileiro Série A and four other competitions in a stellar 2025.

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Strasbourg’s History with Chelsea

The intertwined relationship of the two clubs is the source of rampant controversy. Both are owned by BlueCo, the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake capital—which itself is fronted by Behdad Eghbali—which bought Chelsea in 2022. The aggressive, self-styled “market disruptors” added Ligue 1’s Strasbourg to their portfolio the following year to widespread outrage.

Strasbourg may have been on the brink of relegation when they were acquired by BlueCo—the deal was delayed until their Ligue 1 status had been secured—but are a historic institution.

Founded in 1906, a matter of months after Chelsea, Strasbourg won the French top flight in 1978–79. The Alsace outfit fell on hard times a decade ago, dropping down to the fifth tier in 2011 but climbed back up to Ligue 1 six years later, where they have remained ever since.

The club’s cherished identity has taken a beating since the Chelsea takeover. Turned overnight into a stable for undercooked youngsters, any talent of promise would be swiftly whisked across to west London. Captain Emmanuel Emegha will move to Chelsea in the summer, where he will find his former manager.

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Rosenior’s appointment was lambasted as a humiliation by one Strasbourg fan group and it remains unclear how financially beneficial that embarrassment will prove to be.

Chelsea have refused to reveal the figures involved in Rosenior’s acquisition, only telling The Times that it fell in line with the “market rate.” Considering BlueCo were effectively negotiating with themselves, this transaction will fall under the guise of the Premier League’s associated party transaction (APT) rules.

These hotly controversial regulations, which have been the subject of an extensive legal battle from Manchester City (another team at the centre of a multi-club ownership group), are supposed to ensure that any negotiations between two entities with overlapping interests is conducted at “fair market value.” This FMV is determined by the Premier League board.

When the APT rules were first under review at the start of 2024, Chelsea voted against the changes before surprisingly reversing their approach for the final vote in November 2024.

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Chelsea Fan Backlash Against Ownership

BlueCo have struck once again. / Robin Jones/Getty Images

While neutrals have questioned the legitimacy of Rosenior’s appointment, Chelsea fans are more concerned with the judgement behind such a move. What Rosenior lacks in experience he boasts bucket-loads of loyalty to the BlueCo structure.

Enzo Maresca’s objectively successful Chelsea spell was ultimately concluded after a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s powerbrokers. After maintaining a public-facing support of BlueCo’s operation at Strasbourg, Rosenior may be grateful to simply not have his best players ripped away from him.

The club’s fanbase have taken a rather less flattering view of the ownership. A snap poll conducted by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust shortly after Rosenior’s appointment found that more than 90% of those surveyed expressed a lack of confidence in BlueCo’s decision making.

LIAM ROSENIOR. Rosenior Tactics. Chelsea’s Potential Tactics & Team Under New Manager. dark

Almost 86% deemed there to be “significant” weaknesses in the sporting structure while 83% were not confident that Chelsea would achieve “sustained on-pitch success” in the next three to five years.

The CST was at pains to “wish Liam Rosenior every success” but it’s clear that the affable 41-year-old is not walking into an atmosphere of unity and cohesion. Getting the fans onside was part of his first public message at the Stamford Bridge helm.

“I want our fans to be proud of who we are and what we represent in every single game that we play,” he declared at his unveiling. “They are the soul of this enormous, historic and huge football club. I cannot wait to meet you all. I cannot wait to get started.”

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