Chelsea boosted in Liam Rosenior pursuit as Strasbourg begin succession planning | OneFootball

Blues hoping to fill Enzo Maresca’s place in short order

Chelsea seem to have been boosted in their pursuit of Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior as the Ligue 1 side have reportedly begun to consider potential replacements.

The club are understood to be keen to sign Maresca’s successor in short order, and they wasted little time in earmarking Rosenior as a first-choice target.

The former Hull City boss has been in charge of Chelsea’s BlueCo sister club Strasbourg since 2024. He steered the club to a seventh-place finish in his debut campaign and worked with a number of Chelsea loanees in the process, including Andrey Santos.

And it appears Chelsea are making positive progress in their pursuit of the Briton, as reports have emerged claiming Strasbourg are already planning for life without Rosenior.

According to a report from Sky Italia, Rosenior’s assistant Filipe Coelho would be the most likely replacement should Chelsea land their first-choice target.

Filipe Coelho worked in Chelsea’s academy before moving to Strasbourg

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Coelho, 40, spent time with Chelsea’s academy before joining the Alsace side, coaching the likes of Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George.

He made the switch to Ligue 1 in July, having also served in Benfica and Estoril’s academies.

Speaking on Friday, Rosenior responded to reports linking him to the Chelsea job, playing down the possibility of his departure.

He said: “There's a lot of noise, a lot of speculation, but as a coach, if you get involved, you fail. My job is here, I love this club.

“No, I haven't spoken to the players about it. There's no need, they're connected and I've had a few lighthearted jokes. But we've been focused on our work. The goal is to continue creating great things here.

“In life, there are zero guarantees. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I'm just doing my job. There's already been speculation. I don't want to guarantee how long I'll be here, but I enjoy myself here every day.

“I intend to continue doing so as long as I'm here. I love this club, but I can't guarantee anything. Nobody can.”