Chelsea head coach contender Liam Rosenior offers no guarantees he will remain at Strasbourg
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Rosenior is currently the frontrunner to succeed Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior has said “you never know what tomorrow will bring” after he was linked with the managerial vacancy at Chelsea.
The Athletic reported that Rosenior is currently the frontrunner to succeed Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, following the Italian’s departure on New Year’s Day.
Rosenior, 41, is well-known to the Chelsea hierarchy following his work at Strasbourg in Ligue 1. The French side are also owned by BlueCo, a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Rosenior, who was appointed by Strasbourg in June 2024, is also familiar with two of Chelsea’s sporting leadership team, having worked with Paul Winstanley at Brighton & Hove Albion and Laurence Stewart when he was still a player at Hull City.
Strasbourg return to action following the festive period with a trip to struggling OGC Nice on Saturday evening.
Speaking at Strasbourg’s press conference ahead of the match, reported by L’Equipe, Rosenior said: “In life, there are zero guarantees. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I do my job. There has already been speculation. I don’t want to guarantee how long I’ll be here, but I enjoy being here every day. I intend to keep doing so for as long as I am here. I love this club, but I can’t guarantee anything. No one can.”
He confirmed there had been conversations with Chelsea.
“We work with the same owner,” he said. “I have regular contact with people at Chelsea. The truth is, I have no control over what happens.”
“I am calm,” Rosenior added. “There is a lot of noise and speculation. If we pay attention to it as a coach, we go crazy.”
In a previous interview with The Athletic, Rosenior talked about his ambitions as a manager. “I want to manage my country,” he said. “I want to work at the top Champions League level. I’m not being arrogant when I say that. That’s what I want to work towards. I want my young players here to aim for the top level. If I want to achieve that then I have to deliver that standard to them. The longer I’ve worked (as a coach), the more I believe I can get there.”
In his first season in charge, Rosenior led a very young Strasbourg side to a seventh place finish, securing a spot in the Conference League.
One of the reasons Rosenior, who previously managed Derby County on an interim basis and Hull, was hired by Strasbourg was because of his reputation for developing and nurturing young talent.