Chelsea Sack Coach

Chelsea fired Liam Rosenior on April 22, ending his spell after 107 days and five straight Premier League defeats without a goal. (chelseafc.com) Chelsea said “recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards” and named Calum McFarlane interim head coach through the end of the season. (chelseafc.com) Rosenior, 41, had joined Chelsea on January 6 and signed a contract running to 2032 after leaving Strasbourg, another club in BlueCo’s ownership group. (chelseafc.com, chelseafc.com) The dismissal came less than 24 hours after a 3-0 loss at Brighton on April 21, Chelsea’s fifth consecutive league defeat and part of a run of seven losses in eight matches under Rosenior. (premierleague.com, skysports.com) Sky Sports reported Chelsea activated a break clause in Rosenior’s deal, allowing the club to move quickly despite the long contract it handed him in January. (skysports.com) Chelsea’s own statement made clear the season is not over: the club said McFarlane’s brief is to chase European qualification and progress in the Football Association Cup. (chelseafc.com) That cup tie arrives immediately. Chelsea face Leeds United in the Football Association Cup semifinal at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m. British Summer Time. (thefa.com, thefa.com) McFarlane is not an outside hire. Chelsea promoted him from Under-21 coach to Rosenior’s first-team staff in January, and the club says he had already overseen the first team earlier this season before Rosenior arrived. (chelseafc.com, chelseafc.com) The speed of the change adds to the churn at Stamford Bridge. Rosenior was appointed after Enzo Maresca’s departure, and now Chelsea are again searching for a permanent coach before the season is finished. (sportingnews.com, chelseafc.com) For now, Chelsea have chosen the fastest fix available: remove the coach, hand the team to an internal replacement, and try to rescue the last month of the season. (chelseafc.com, thefa.com)