Liam Rosenior: Coaching career, tactics and management style of the new Chelsea manager

Premier League club Chelsea announced Liam Rosenior as their new manager on Tuesday, following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

The 41-year-old Rosenior comes from the French club Strasbourg, which shares the same American ownership as Chelsea.

Rosenior joined Strasbourg in July 2024 and led the team to seventh place in Ligue 1, qualifying for the UEFA Conference League.

Rosenior, who has represented England at Under-20 and Under-21 levels, began his managerial career with an interim job at Derby County in 2022 before being appointed full-time manager at Hull City in the EFL Championship. He was fired in 2024 after failing to secure a play-off spot.

Prior to his coaching stints, Rosenior was a full-back with spells in the Premier League and Championship at clubs including Hull City, Reading, Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Rosenior ended his professional career with Brighton in 2018, taking up a coaching job with the side’s Under-23 team.

By signing Rosenior, the Ted Boehly-led Chelsea outfit will look to maintain its youth-focused team-building approach. Strasbourg had one of the youngest teams in the top five European leagues.

In terms of playing style, Rosenior prefers a possession-based game, often switching between 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3.

He encourages his players to take risks with the ball, especially in the early stages of the build-up play. «I don’t mind players making mistakes. Mistakes are a good thing because you can learn why they happened,» Rosenior told the Athletic.

“Every person involved in something should feel like he or she is important,” he added of his management style.

Rosenior is also known for his articulation skills, for which he has performed as a writer the Guardian from his playing days. In 2020, he had written an open letter criticizing US President Donald Trump’s racism. He was also a supporter of LGBTQ rights and served on the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board.

Published on January 6, 2026