Focus on decisions, not togetherness, Chelsea’s Rosenior tells referee after Premier League defeat to Newcastle United

Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior accused the referee in charge of Saturday’s 1-0 2025-26 Premier League defeat to Newcastle United of focusing too much on his players’ pre-match conversation when he should instead have made sure he made the right decision on the penalty.

Chelsea’s players have gathered in a circle around the center spot of the pitch before kick-off in recent matches, much to the annoyance of opponents who feel they are invading their space mnb5.

Before the match against Newcastle, the group was formed around referee Paul Tierney, who stood his ground.

Asked about the incident by reporters, Rosenior said he was «disappointed by the focus on ‘things that don’t matter'» but the players’ decision to sit in the center of the field was not disrespectful to their opponent. He also said Tierney had raised the issue of center spot meetings with one of his staff before the match.

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“If Paul had focused more on his job, which was making the right decision, we would have got a penalty today,” the coach said, referring to Cole Palmer going down in the Newcastle penalty area while battling Nick Woltemade in the second half.

«Let’s focus on the things that are important. My team showing unity is not as important as making the right decisions on the pitch,» Rosenior said, adding that he would seek clarification from the body responsible for referees.

Rosenior admitted Saturday’s defeat was a blow to Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, but there would be «a lot of twists and turns» in the remaining eight Premier League games.

Published on March 15, 2026