Chelsea Take Major Step to Appoint Enzo Maresca Replacement—Report

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior remains the frontrunner to take charge of the Blues.

Enzo Maresca left Chelsea after 18 months. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Just four days after Chelsea and Enzo Maresca parted ways, Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is reportedly on his way to London to interview for the open position at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca’s shock departure came on New Year’s Day after his relationship with Chelsea senior officials broke down beyond repair. Interim manager Calum McFarlane stepped up to lead the Blues to a 1–1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, but the Under-21 boss is not expected to keep his place on the first-team’s touchline for long.

According to Sky Sports, Rosenior, who remains the leading candidate to replace Maresca, left France on Sunday evening and jetted to west London. The 41-year-old is set be interviewed on Monday to become the next manager of Chelsea.

The report comes after Rosenior admitted he “didn’t know” if Strasbourg’s 1–1 draw with Nice on Saturday would be his last match in charge of the Ligue 1 outfit, which is also owned by BlueCo. The former Fulham defender danced around certain “discussions,” but revealed his love for London and his desire to manage in the Premier League.

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Rosenior Potential ‘Appointment Date’ Revealed

Liam Rosenior took over Strasbourg ahead of the 2024–25 season. | Ross MacDonald/SNS Group/Getty Images

Should all go to plan in Monday’s interview, Rosenior’s appointment could come ahead of the Blues’ trip to Craven Cottage on Wednesday, per Sky Sports.

Chelsea will hope to defeat Fulham to record just their second Premier League victory in their last eight matches. The Club World Cup champions have now dropped points against Arsenal, Leeds United, Bournemouth (twice), Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Man City over the last six weeks.

Still, the Blues sit fifth in the table, just three points off defending English champions Liverpool in fourth. Although they are firmly out of the title race, they are in the fight to finish in the Champions League places.

With all the noise surrounding the club, including vocal fan protests aimed at BlueCo—a consortium primarily controlled by Clearlake Capital and co-owner Behdad Eghbali—getting Chelsea back on track could prove to be a mightily difficult task, especially for Rosenior, who would come into the potential position without any Premier League managerial experience.

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