Liam Rosenior Lands First Manager Job Since Chelsea Firing

The Blues dismissed Rosenior four months into a six-year contract last season.

Liam Rosenior is back in work. | Warren Little/Getty Images

Short-lived former Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior is back in work after being appointed boss at Paris FC, returning to France where he’d previously built a reputation in charge of Strasbourg.

It was Rosenior’s position as Strasbourg manager which made him an easy target for BlueCo, the parent company that operates and controls both the French team and Chelsea.

That appointment, which began with the agreement of a six-year contract to June 2032, lasted only four months after an alarming slump in results for the Stamford Bridge club.

But with Chelsea already starting to struggle with a lack of leadership and experience in the squad and seeing Enzo Maresca suddenly leave the club under a cloud on New Year’s Day, Rosenior’s reputation has largely survived intact, certainly in France.

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Why Paris FC Hired Rosenior

Paris FC have spent most of the last half-century outside France’s top division, but were taken over by the billionaire Arnault family in 2024 with a minority stake purchased by Red Bull. Last season was the club’s first in Ligue 1 in 46 years, with a difficult start that looked like it could end in immediate relegation back to Ligue 2 overcome once Antoine Kombouaré became manager in February.

Kombouaré ultimately guided Paris FC to 11th place in the final standings, but the club’s ambition saw a decision made to quickly move on from the former Paris Saint-Germain defender.

Paris FC make it clear that the club believes hiring Rosenior to be something of a coup, proudly describing the Englishman as “one of the most promising coaches of his generation.”

Antoine Arnault pointed to Rosenior’s particular reputation of developing emerging talent.

“I have always been impressed by his playing philosophy and what he has built with his teams, often composed of young players,” Arnault explained.

“Many players have expressed their enthusiasm, and we share it, as he perfectly embodies the project we want to implement to establish Paris FC permanently in Ligue 1 and to progress each year, both in our play and in our league position.”

Arnault had previously expressed hope that Paris FC might one day tempt Jürgen Klopp to the French capital, should the team climb into the Champions League. That was certainly not unreasonable given Red Bull’s involvement as a shareholder, but Klopp is expected to soon be unveiled as the next manager of Germany’s national team.

Only time will tell if he ever returns to club management.

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