It’s been another whirlwind week at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea’s revolving door of managers spinning yet again. On New Year’s Day, Enzo Maresca, the man who just months ago led the Blues to both Conference League and Club World Cup glory, abruptly exited the club after a dramatic breakdown in his relationship with the board. The Italian’s departure came as a shock—not only to fans but also to the dressing room, with winger Pedro Neto admitting, “When I heard the news, in the beginning I was a little bit surprised because the manager did very good for us. He did an unbelievable season last year and he was doing a good season this year. Of course we always want to do better but this is football.”
Maresca’s exit, just 18 months into a five-year contract reportedly worth £4 million a season, left a potential £14 million on the table. Rather than negotiate a lucrative payout, Maresca walked away, feeling so undermined by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy that he couldn’t continue. According to SunSport, he was particularly frustrated by what he saw as excessive interference from above, especially regarding team selection and substitutions. It was his refusal to relinquish on-pitch decision-making that proved the final straw. The club, for their part, accused Maresca of “emotional immaturity”—a charge his camp vigorously denies, along with rumors that he tried to leverage interest from Juventus and Manchester City for a new deal.
So what went wrong? Maresca’s reign had started brightly. After arriving from Leicester in the summer of 2024, he quickly endeared himself to supporters by guiding Chelsea to a fourth-place Premier League finish, a Conference League triumph, and then, in December, a memorable FIFA Club World Cup victory over Paris Saint-Germain. The Blues even sat second in the league as recently as November 2025, with Maresca picking up a Manager of the Month award. But a sudden dip—just one win in seven matches—saw Chelsea tumble to fifth, putting pressure on the manager and exposing cracks in his relationship with the club’s leadership.
The timing of Maresca’s departure could hardly have been worse. With a crucial clash against Manchester City looming, Chelsea were forced to turn to academy coach Calum McFarlane to steady the ship. McFarlane, who only took charge of the Under-21s last summer, praised captain Reece James for his leadership during the turbulent transition, saying, “He’s been a real leader in the group and supported the staff and the players. You can’t ask for any more. It just seems like a real focus for getting the best performance we can on Sunday.”
As the dust settled, attention quickly turned to Maresca’s successor. Enter Liam Rosenior, the 41-year-old currently at the helm of Strasbourg in Ligue 1—a club, like Chelsea, under the BlueCo ownership. Despite his relative inexperience in top-flight English football, Rosenior has emerged as the clear favorite to take charge at Stamford Bridge. Reports suggest that when Rosenior signed a new deal with Strasbourg in April 2025, it was made clear that he was viewed as a long-term candidate for the Chelsea job. But few could have predicted how swiftly the opportunity would arise.
Rosenior’s credentials have divided opinion. On one hand, he boasts a 51.6% win rate at Strasbourg and led the French side back to European competition last season, all while embracing the BlueCo philosophy. On the other, his managerial résumé features only brief stints at Derby and Hull City, making Chelsea his first Premier League appointment. Some fans see him as a “yes man” for the ownership, a perception not helped by his measured response to rumors linking him to the Blues. After a 1-1 draw with Nice, Rosenior insisted, “I haven’t discussed anything at this point. There’s nothing concrete in these rumours. They’re just rumours. What will be, will be. It’s a very beautiful city, a great club, with great fans. I have loved everything. The players were incredible. I really want the best for this club. I don’t know if this is my last match. In life, you never know.”
His emotional farewell to Strasbourg’s players—hugging each one and waving to supporters at full-time—only fueled speculation that his move to Chelsea was imminent. Yet, as of January 4, 2026, Rosenior remained tight-lipped, focusing instead on Strasbourg’s upcoming Coupe de France fixture. The uncertainty has done little to calm a restless Chelsea fanbase, many of whom are planning protests against the running of the club. Their frustration isn’t necessarily directed at Rosenior himself, but rather at the owners’ perceived preference for internal appointments and their apparent disregard for proven managerial pedigree.
It’s a pattern that’s become all too familiar since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took control in 2022. Despite spending over £1.3 billion on new players, Chelsea have churned through four permanent managers and two interim bosses in less than four years. Each change has been accompanied by promises of a new era, only for the cycle to repeat itself. Under Roman Abramovich, such ruthlessness was often justified by silverware. Under the current regime, the returns have been far less convincing.
For Maresca, the future remains bright. He’s already attracted interest from Manchester City and Juventus, and with his reputation for developing young talent and instilling a clear playing style, he won’t be short of suitors. According to those close to him, Maresca remains proud of what he achieved at Chelsea and harbors no regrets about standing up for his principles, even if it cost him his job.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s players are left to navigate yet another period of upheaval. Pedro Neto summed up the mood in the dressing room: “For me, I’m a little bit sad because he’s a manager who helped me a lot and I learned a lot with him. In personal terms he was unbelievable. I say ‘thank you’ but it’s football, and we have to go through it. We have the next game already.”
As for Rosenior, should he indeed take the reins, he’ll face a baptism of fire—tasked with uniting a divided fanbase, proving his doubters wrong, and delivering results in one of the most demanding jobs in world football. Will the BlueCo structure finally provide stability, or is this just the latest chapter in Chelsea’s never-ending managerial saga? For now, all eyes are on Stamford Bridge, where change is the only constant and the search for lasting success continues.