Chelsea manager leaves Premier League club after less than four months in charge

Liam Rosenior has left his role as Chelsea head coach after less than four months in charge following a five-match Premier League run of defeats without scoring.

Chelsea said the decision to part company with the 41-year-old had not been “taken lightly”, acting because “recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season”.

The statement praised Rosenior for showing the “highest integrity and professionalism”. “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 added.

Assistant Calum McFarlane will take temporary charge for a second time this season, with the Blues seven points from the likely Champions League qualification places and in danger of missing out entirely on European competition next season.

Rosenior voiced his fury after his side lost 3-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, failing to produce an attempt on target as the Seagulls leapfrogged the visitors into sixth and piled more pressure on the newcomer to Premier League management, who said he felt “numb” and “angry” about the “unacceptable” performance.

The eight-time FA Cup winners meet Leeds United in the semi-finals of the competition at Wembley Stadium on Sunday (15:00 BST).

Why have Chelsea sacked Liam Rosenior?

Rosenior, who arrived on January 6 on a deal until 2032, declared he felt total support from club owners BlueCo before the match against Brighton – one of the sides he represented during his elite playing career as a full-back.

Co-owner Behdad Eghbali gave Rosenior equivocal backing during the build-up to the defeat by saying Chelsea believed Rosenior could be “successful long term” in a “results business”.

A dire display at the Amex Stadium changed that perspective as Chelsea went five league defeats without a goal for the first time since 1912, lost five in a row in the top flight for the first time since 1993 and endured a 12th game in the division without a clean sheet, representing their longest run since the 1996/1997 season.

Their expected goals total of 0.04 in the first half against Albion was lower than in any of their 114 halves under Rosenior’s predecessor, Enzo Maresca, who left on New Year’s Day after publicly criticising the club.

Chelsea occupied fifth place – the likely final position to guarantee Champions League qualification this season – after drawing 2-2 at home to Bournemouth in their final game under Maresca, who guided them to a fourth-placed finish alongside Club World Cup and Conference League glory during his first campaign in charge in 2024/25.

With four league matches of their season remaining, Chelsea’s sharp slump has left them highly unlikely to catch fifth-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Failing to reach the lucrative Champions League would be another blow to Chelsea’s finances after they posted a deficit of £355 million – the largest ever recorded by an English club – for 2024/25.

Rosenior also had to deal with high-profile players voicing their discontent over Maresca’s departure and suggesting their own futures at the club were uncertain.

Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez was dropped for two matches earlier this month after suggesting he would prefer to live in Madrid amid speculation linking the midfielder with Real Madrid.

Fernandez also said in March that the end of Maresca’s 18-month reign had “hurt” Chelsea, although Rosenior then claimed he had held “a great conversation” with the £107m Argentina international, describing him as “fully committed to this group and to winning here at this football club.”

Among wide-ranging comments appearing to cricitise the club, defender Marc Cucurella, who extended his contract in 2025, told The Athletic on March 31 that the squad was inexperienced and Maresca’s exit had caused a “big impact on us.”

In response, Rosenior called for more “emotional stability” from his players and pledged to change the culture at the club, adding that their comments “stemmed from a good place” after Chelsea were crushed 8-2 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.

“A lot of this stems from a difficult 10 days in terms of results we have had – probably the most difficult for me as a player or manager,” Rosenior said of Fernandez and Cucurella’s interviews.

Liam Rosenior Chelsea record, stats

After spells coaching at Brighton and Derby County, Rosenior impressed in his first managerial role at Hull City between 2022 and 2024, earning a nomination for the Championship Manager of the Season award in April 2024.

Hull surprisingly sacked Rosenior the following month after narrowly missing out on the second-tier play-offs, and the son of former manager Leroy Rosenior proceeded to enhance his reputation at Ligue 1 club Strasbourg, who are owned by BlueCo.

Strasbourg were a point behind Monaco in the race for Champions League qualification in France after a 2-1 home win over PSG in May 2025, only to finish seventh and enter the Conference League qualification play-offs after losing their final two games against lowly Angers and Le Havre.

Le Racing then finished top of the league phase in the 2025/26 Conference League – taking 16 points from 18 available – and were seventh in Ligue 1 when Rosenior left.

Now managed by former Wolves and Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil, Strasbourg won four of their first five league games under Rosenior this season but lost five and won two of the Englishman’s final 10 in Ligue 1.

Rosenior made a promising start at Chelsea, winning seven of his first nine matches in all competitions, with the defeats along the way sending his new club out of the EFL Cup semi-finals over two legs against Arsenal.

Draws at home to relegation-threatened Leeds and Burnley preceded another loss to Arsenal – this time in the league – and a 4-1 win at high-flying Aston Villa.

That proved the last time Rosenior avoided defeat aside from two FA Cup wins over opponents from lower divisions.

“Something needs to change drastically right now,” Rosenior warned after his final game in charge, having been booed by fans who called for him to leave after full time.

“The players need to have a look in the mirror for what they put in. You can talk about tactics… tactics come after the basics.

“Having more courage to play, winning duels, winning headers, tackles, conceding terrible goals. That was an unacceptable performance.

“This was about desire, spirit, courage – and I did not see enough of that. I have defended the players at times when it was the correct thing, but I can’t defend that performance.

“It doesn’t represent this football club, it doesn’t represent anything I ask from the group and that has to change.

“The professionalism wasn’t there. The general attitude, spirit, determination was lacking apart from maybe three or four of the 11. That is nowhere near enough for this club.

“Whether you’re playing at this elite football club or any football club, to even be accused of throwing the towel in is unacceptable. That’s all I’m going to say. I’m hurting.

“We need to make the right decisions for the team ahead of a massive game on Sunday and we’ll do everything we can to turn it around.”

A convincing win in Rosenior’s first game! 🔵#CFC | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/RyFYnXnoDH

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 10, 2026

Next Chelsea manager: Who will succeed Liam Rosenior?

BlueCo are now seeking their sixth permanent manager since taking over Chelsea in a £4.25 billion deal in May 2022.

Former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis, who won titles including the Copa Libertadores, Brazilian Serie A and Brazilian Cup in his only managerial role to date with Flamengo between 2024 and 2026, is among the favourites with bookmakers.

Odds compilers also believe Diego Simeone, who has won La Liga and the Europa League twice each and reached the Champions League final twice since taking charge of Atletico Madrid in 2011, is a frontrunner.

Outgoing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner – an FA Cup winner with the Eagles last season – and former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez are also priced short, as are Andoni Iraola, who will leave Bournemouth at the end of the campaign, Roberto De Zerbi, who is attempting to rescue Tottenham from relegation, and Como manager Cesc Fabregas, a Chelsea midfielder between 2014 and 2019.

What’s next for Chelsea?

Here’s how Chelsea’s remaining fixtures in 2025/26 look. Should they beat Leeds, they will advance to the FA Cup final against Manchester City or Southampton on May 16.