Chelsea Football Club have announced the appointment of Liam Rosenior as their new head coach, handing the 41-year-old a long-term contract running until 2032.
Rosenior has joined the Premier League side after an 18-month spell in charge of French Ligue 1 club Strasbourg, who, like Chelsea, are owned by BlueCo. His appointment follows the departure of Enzo Maresca, who was relieved of his duties on New Year’s Day.
The former Premier League defender becomes Chelsea’s fifth permanent head coach since 2021, following Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Maresca, as the club continues its search for long-term stability and success.
“I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed Head Coach of Chelsea Football Club,” Rosenior said in his first statement after the announcement. “This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies.”
The new Chelsea boss said his priority will be to protect the club’s identity and restore a winning culture at Stamford Bridge.
“My job is to protect that identity and create a team that reflects these values in every game we play as we continue winning trophies. To be entrusted with this role means the world to me and I want to thank all involved for the opportunity and faith in undertaking this job. I will give everything to bring the success this club deserves,” he said.
Rosenior also expressed excitement about working with Chelsea’s players, staff and supporters as he begins a new chapter in his coaching career.
“I am excited to work with this extremely talented group of players and staff, to build strong connections on and off the pitch, and to create an environment where everyone feels united and driven by the same goal,” he noted.
He reserved special praise for the club’s supporters, describing them as central to Chelsea’s identity.
“I want our fans to be proud of who we are and what we represent in every single game that we play. 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,” Rosenior said.
Rosenior enjoyed a 17-year playing career, featuring for Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City, Reading and Fulham in the Premier League, before retiring at the end of the 2017/18 season. He moved into coaching shortly afterwards, taking up a role as assistant manager of Brighton’s Under-23 side in August 2018.
He later held several positions at Derby County, including a spell as caretaker manager at the start of the 2022/23 season. Rosenior was eventually appointed permanent manager at Derby, overseeing 78 matches across one and a half seasons and narrowly missing out on the Championship playoffs in 2023/24, finishing seventh.
In the 2024/25 season, he moved to Strasbourg, guiding the French side to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 and securing qualification for the UEFA Conference League. Strasbourg also reached the knockout stages of the competition after winning five and drawing one match in the league phase.
Rosenior departed Strasbourg with the club sitting seventh in Ligue 1, six points behind sixth-placed Rennes.
His first match in charge of Chelsea could come away to Fulham in the Premier League on Wednesday evening. That fixture will be followed by a busy run of five consecutive London matches across four competitions, including an FA Cup tie against Charlton Athletic and home games against Arsenal, Brentford and Cypriot side Pafos.
