Current Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is likely to become the new manager of sister club Chelsea after Enzo Maresca was sacked earlier this week.
Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior has made it clear he wants to work at the “highest possible level” amid reports that he is set to become Chelsea’s new manager. Rosenior, 41, is considered the favorite to succeed Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who was sacked by Chelsea earlier this week after making explosive comments.
The Englishman has been coaching Chelsea’s sister team Strasbourg in France since July 2024. The club is owned by Blueco, a consortium led by Chelsea chairman and co-owner Todd Boley and Clearlake Capital.
On Saturday, Strasbourg drew 1-1 away with Nice, and after the game, Rosenior was asked about his high-profile future. The former Hull City manager did not confirm anything, but at a press conference he reflected on his time in France and spoke about his future ambitions.
“I love this group, I love this club probably more than many people realize,” Rosenior replied. “I’ve had the best 18 months of my professional career, of course I’ve made a lot of good friends and I have a lot of respect for the people here.
“Things are not concrete. There may be interest, but we will see. And at the end of the day, I want to focus on Strasbourg and not anything else at the moment. We haven’t talked about anything at the moment. I know they (Chelsea) are looking for a manager.”
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“Obviously, it’s our sister club. Other than that, I really want to focus on this club. This club has given me so many good memories, so many good times. The players, the fans, a great city. As I said before, if something happens, it will happen. At the moment nothing is happening and that’s all I can say on this matter.”
“I think every coach wants to work at the highest possible level. I’ve never been afraid to say that and I work at a very high level here. Strasbourg is a huge club. It’s a world-class club. It’s a winning football club.”
“But if you’re working for your club and you’re only thinking about other clubs, you’re not doing your job for the club. I know there’s a lot of speculation. I don’t know unless I’m a foreigner, but at the same time I want to give my best to the players. I want to give my best to this club.”
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“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what the future holds. My focus is exactly the same as it was when I started this job. My focus is on the team, winning games and everything I have to do for Strasburg’s success,” Rosenior told reporters ahead of the game in Nice.
“If anything else happens between now and the next six months, that’s out of my control. If you were a manager and you cared about what was being said in the media, you’d probably go crazy.
“My job is here, I love this club and I’m trying to win tomorrow’s game. I know there’s speculation, of course, but I think it’s a reflection of the great job everyone has done at this football club.”
Asked if he had been in contact with Bruko, Rosenior said: “They support me very much in this job. They want this club to succeed and they want Chelsea to succeed.”
Rosenior led Strasbourg to seventh place in Ligue 1 last season, qualifying for the Conference League. Towards the end of the season, the former full-back was given a new three-year contract.
The new deal was announced amid reports that a number of Premier League clubs have approached Strasbourg about the possibility of signing him. Chelsea are expected to name Maresca’s replacement in the coming days.
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