'I was a joke!': Liam Rosenior hopeful of Chelsea success after proving French critics wrong

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Evening Standard

·9 January 2026

'I was a joke!': Liam Rosenior hopeful of Chelsea success after proving French critics wrong

Young head coach proved his critics wrong at Strasbourg

New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has revealed his success at Strasbourg came despite at first being considered “a joke” by the French media.

The 41-year-old is preparing to take charge of Chelsea for the first time when they visit Charlton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday night.

Rosenior was this week appointed as the full-time successor to Enzo Maresca, having been poached from Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg.

During his 18-month spell in charge of the Alsace-based club, Rosenior first guided Strasbourg to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 — their highest finish since the 1980s — and leaves them this season top of the league phase of the Conference League.

But the former Derby County and Hull City manager has opened up on the difficult reception he initially received in France.

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“When I came in at Strasbourg, I was a joke in the media,” he said. “They said we would finish last.

“But the outside noise is just noise. I am not promising it, but I am working towards it: I feel we can be successful here.”

Rosenior, speaking at his first press conference at Chelsea, added: “At a club of this stature, the fans want success and they have every right to want success. The fans should have those demands and standards.

“To win over the [Chelsea] fans, I need to win games of football, build a team that represents them. I remember playing at Stamford Bridge where Jose Mourinho's team were at their best, there was a physicality in the team and that's what the fans demand.

“We are trying to build things in a different way. My job is to try and create a team where teams fear coming to Stamford Bridge.”