Next Chelsea Manager: Liam Rosenior backed into odds-on to replace Maresca | OneFootball

Thursday 1 January 2026

12:20 - Maresca departure confirmed.

Chelsea have confirmed that they have parted company with head coach Enzo Maresca, though they stopped short of saying they sacked the 45-year-old Italian.

In a club statement, Chelsea acknowledged Maresca's success during his time with the Blues, saying, "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.

Before adding, "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."

Chelsea are expected to appoint a permanent manager in the coming days, though whether that person will be in charge for Sunday's game against Manchester City remains to be seen.

On the Betfair Sportsbook Stasbourg manager Liam Rosenior continues to be heavily backed and he is now 4/9 from an opening quote of 11/2.

Next Permanent Chelsea Manager - Latest Odds

- Liam Rosenior 4/9- Oliver Glasner 10/1- BAR 14/1

*prices correct as of 12:20, Thursday 1 January 2026

11:30 - Rosenior the early mover to replace Maresca

RC Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is the early market mover to become the Next Permanent Chelsea Manager after it emerged that Enzo Maresca is increasingly likely to leave the club on New Year's Day.

The Betfair Sportsbook introduced the market early on Thursday morning with former Barcelona boss Xavi installed as the 4/1 favourite for the Stamford Bridge boss. But all the early money has been for Rosenior - whose current club are owned by the same ownership group as Chelsea - and he is now available to back at 4/5 from a high of 11/2 this morning.

Maresca's position has been the subject of increased speculation since the middle of December when in a pre-match press conference he stated that the previous 48 hours had been the worst he'd endured at the club. Chelsea are currently on a run of just one Premier League win in seven games under Maresca and they're a massive 15 points behind leaders Arsenal in the table.

However, should Maresca be sacked then whoever replaces him will be walking into a club who are currently just two points outside of the top four in the Premier League, are into an EFL Cup semi-final, and are in an excellent position to qualify for the knock-out stages of this season's Champions League.

Former Hull manager Rosenior has been receiving high praise since he took over at Strasbourg. He guided the French outfit to seventh in Ligue 1 last season, qualifying for Europe, and he has the club in a similar position this term after reportedly turning down multiple approaches from Premier League clubs.

Behind Rosenior in the market Xavi has drifted out to 9/1, while Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is the 10/1 third favourite. It's 14/1 bar the front three which brings in the likes of Frank Lampard, Cesc Fabregas and Andoni Iraola.

*prices correct as of 11:30, Thursday 1 January 2026