Liam Rosenior is gone. Calum McFarlane is back as interim head coach, through the end of the season, and presumably just through the end of the season. Wonder if he were to win all his games in charge, including an FA Cup final, would he remain under consideration for a permanent appointment? Seems unlikely, but hey, you never know.
Chelsea took less than a week to appoint Rosenior back in January. He made it less than half a year into a 6.5-year contract. Only a fraction of that was paid out as severance,
but the club have promised to make a more considerate choice this time around. Not one ounce of confidence may be left in their ability to actually do so, but let’s hope we can find someone still interested in at least working here.
Various reports in the immediate wake of Rosenior’s sacking have thrown out various names as potential replacements, with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola leading the odds and the one mentioned the most often. Iraola has already confirmed that he’ll be leaving the Cherries at the end of the season after just three years in charge and an entirely unspectacular winning percentage of under 40%. But that’s pretty good for midtable, and well, that’s exactly where we are once again. Still, Iraola may prefer going back to Spain next, and thus would “need convincing”. Bournemouth manager needing convincing to take the Chelsea job? Thanks, BlueCo!
Speaking of midtable, another name mentioned by a few outlets is Marco Silva, over at Fulham just down the road. He’s been there for five years, which is an eternity in modern football — only Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have been at their teams longer in the Premier League, with Silva currently the sixth(!) longest-serving manager in the top four divisions of English football — but he’s out of contract at the end of the season. He’s represented by Jorge Mendes, so whether he stay or goes, he’s about to get paid. Silva won the Championship with Fulham in his first season, and has finished a comfortable 10th-13th in the Prem every season since. At least he’s consistent?
The BBC’s report also mentions Edin Terzić, who once took Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final, but has not worked since (2024) and has a grand total of two and a half years of actual top flight managerial experience.
One name mentioned and already ruled out is Julian Nagelsmann, with The Telegraph reporting that he’s “not interested at this time”. Or presumably at any time. Similarly, FC Porto boss Francesco Farioli can safely be ruled out: he used the rumors in January to extend his contract instead. And though Xabi Alonso is out of work after his expeditious failure at Real Madrid, it would be rather surprising if he gave any consideration to the Chelsea job (especially with a potential opening at Liverpool coming up this summer). Oliver Glasner might be an interesting shout though, depending on what happens with him at Crystal Palace.
Some serious consideration could be given to a couple ex-Chelsea players however, and I expect plenty of stories in that vein in the near future. No, not John Terry, don’t worry. Cesc Fàbregas and Filipe Luis are two of the bookies’ early favorites, and though betting odds have as much to do with the gullibility of the bettors themselves, these two are both rising stars in the coaching world and would be on-brand in that sense for BlueCo.
Fàbregas finished out his playing career in lovely Como in Northern Italy, then took over as interim manager before getting the job for good two years ago. He’s since brought them up from Serie B, comfortably kept them in Serie A, and currently has them in fifth, which would be their highest ever finish and would qualify them for Europe for the first time ever. The man with the Magic Hat almost pulled off a magic win over Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals just the other day, too, only for Inter to storm back late on from two down to win 3-2 and advance.
Meanwhile, Filipe Luís finished out his playing career back in Brazil at Flamengo, then took over their youth team before getting the senior job a couple years ago. Just a few months into his appointment, he would win the Brazilian Cup. Then, in 2025, he would lead them to a famous Double, winning the Brazilian Série A as well as the Copa Libertadores. Shockingly, he was let go at the start of this year, supposedly amid some conflict with his higher-ups over “secret” negotiations with European teams. How very Maresca of him! But hey, he now has not only top flight experience, but also experience working with nincompoops in the boardroom! Bonus!
Frank Lampard is also fairly high up on the bookies’ list, but surely he has no desire to leave Coventry City having just won the Championship with them and brought them back up to the Premier League after a 25-year absence. Similarly, any talk of José Mourinho or Diego Simeone should be ignored without wasting any of your hopes on them.
So that about covers the current top ten. And alas, no odds are being given for Antonio Conte just yet. Would be absolute cinema.
