Chelsea: Manager ‘set’ to replace Maresca named with reason for BlueCo ‘strange decision’ revealed | OneFootball

According to reports, Chelsea have a manager ‘lined up’ and ‘set’ to replace former boss Enzo Maresca, who exited the club on Thursday morning.

Maresca had been on borrowed time at Chelsea for quite a while as he has butted heads with club chiefs and has been linked with a move to Manchester City to replace Pep Guardiola.

This situation has not been helped by Chelsea’s poor form, with the Premier League giants on a run of one win in seven matches.

Maresca skipped his post-match duties after Tuesday’s 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth as he considered his future and Chelsea confirmed on Thursday morning that they have parted ways.

In a statement, Chelsea said: ‘Chelsea Football Club and Head Coach Enzo Maresca have parted company.

‘During his time at the Club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Those achievements will remain an important part of the Club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the Club.

‘With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the Club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track. We wish Enzo well for the future.’

Chelsea have already been linked with several potential replacements, but numerous outlets have named Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior as a leading contender to succeed Maresca. 

This makes sense as Rosenior has done a great job at Strasbourg, who have the same owners as Chelsea.

Now, Football Transfers are reporting that Rosenior is ‘set’ to replace Maresca as he has been ‘lined up’.

Regarding his ‘strange’ contract terms, the report explains: ‘Sources close to the club have revealed to FootballTransfers that Strasbourg boss Rosenior will replace Maresca, with the Englishman lined up for the job on an interim basis until the end of the season.

‘While it may seem like a strange decision to move Rosenior from one BlueCo club to another on a temporary basis, the owners of Chelsea have proven themselves to be happy to make such controversial decisions in the past. It would appear that the 41-year-old is being handed a dress rehearsal for the job on a permanent basis.’

Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips, meanwhile, has claimed that the Blues have also been turned down by a couple of managers.

After another journalist claimed ‘multiple managers have already rejected Chelsea today’, Phillips replied on X: ‘Of course they have.

‘They’d have been just like us this last week or so watching this absolute shambles unravel in the media and thinking they want nothing to do with it. I truly fear who we will end up with at this point.’