Liam Rosenior Fired by Chelsea After Sinking to 114-Year Low

Rosenior lasted just 106 days in the job after enduring a ruinous run of recent form.

It has been a rocky few months for Liam Rosenior. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Chelsea have fired Liam Rosenior after the Blues suffered five straight league defeats without scoring a goal for the first time since 1912.

Rosenior was only appointed at the start of January to replace the sudden exit of Enzo Maresca after the Italian had reportedly fallen out with the club’s hierarchy. As the manager of BlueCo’s French sister club Strasbourg, Rosenior theoretically served as the ideal replacement, fulfilling the exact purpose of the multi-club model being built out of west London.

Just 106 days later, the experiment has been brought to an abrupt and unsuccessful conclusion.

“Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Liam Rosenior,” a club statement, released the day after Tuesday’s disastrous 3–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, read. “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to place on record our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club.

“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season.

“This has not been a decision the Club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future.”

---

How Liam Rosenior Compared to Enzo Maresca

Back in 2023, Liam Rosenior’s Hull City became the first side to defeat Enzo Maresca’s Leicester City in the Championship that season.

Liam Delap scored the winner.

Now the pair will be reunited at Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/sz22OljFmt

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) January 6, 2026

It all started so well for Rosenior. Mikel Arteta’s league-leading Arsenal were the only team to stop Chelsea from winning across the new manager’s first nine matches. However, the cracks began to show when the Blues “set fire to four points”—to use Rosenior’s words—by conceding late equalizers against the relegation-battling duo of West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in consecutive top-flight matches.

The rot really started to set in from March onwards. Rosenior lost seven of his final eight matches. As Liverpool proved, any side can get convincingly beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, yet it was defeats to the likes of Newcastle United and Everton which really stung. By the time Rosenior was put out of his misery, he had lost more games (10) than Maresca (seven) this season despite overseeing fewer fixtures.

2025–26 Stats	Liam Rosenior	Enzo Maresca
Games	23	28
Win Ratio	47.8%	50%
Goals Scored per Game	2.04	1.93
Goals Conceded per Game	1.65	1.21
Goal Difference per Game	0.39	0.71

---

What Next for Chelsea?

Calum McFarlane will take charge of Chelsea—again. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

For the second time this season, Chelsea have been forced to turn to Calum McFarlane. The former Manchester City youth team coach stepped up from the Blues academy to fill the void left by Maresca’s departure at the turn of the year. McFarlane famously claimed a dramatic point against Pep Guardiola before losing a west London derby to Fulham which Rosenior watched from the stands.

The 40-year-old coach, who was promoted to Rosenior’s first-team staff following his bright interim stint, has been given the reigns just four days before Chelsea’s FA Cup semifinal against Leeds United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

“As the Club works to bring stability to the Head Coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment,” Chelsea’s statement concluded.

The dire run of results with precipitated Rosenior’s demise has all but ruled Chelsea out of contention for Champions League qualification. With four games of the campaign remaining, the Blues are seven points adrift of Liverpool in the fifth and final slot. Given the desperately tight nature of the teams stacked immediately below the leading quintet, Chelsea face the very real risk of missing out on European soccer altogether.

---