Ex Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior says sacking had 'nothing to do with football'

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior is already feeling the heat
Liam Rosenior was sacked by Chelsea (Image credit: Getty Images)
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Former Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has opened up on his time managing the Blues, and his sacking after just 23 games in charge.

Rosenior was drafted in at Chelsea from their sister club, Strasbourg. to replace the outgoing Enzo Maresca in January 2026 on a six-and-a-half-year deal, winning his first match in charge and overseeing a positive start to his tenure.

But the West Londoners pulled the trigger in April, with the club seventh in the table – and Rosenior has since taken up the manager's job at Paris FC.

Liam Rosenior: “Any club would have been happy… but not Chelsea”

COBHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 6: New Head Coach of Chelsea Liam Rosenior at Chelsea Training Ground on January 6, 2026 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Rosenior was in charge of Chelsea for just 23 games (Image credit: Getty Images)

In an interview with So Foot, relayed by Sport Witness, Rosenior has opened up about his time in charge of the Blues, and the “snowball effect” in the media surrounding results at Stamford Bridge.

“It was the best experience of my life, and the hardest too,” the 42-year-old said. “It was fantastic, even though it only lasted four months.”

“Actually, the moment that worried me the most was at the beginning, when we went through that five-game winning streak.”

“Any club would have been happy with such a run, but not Chelsea. You get good results and you’re in the spotlight. Then, there was a kind of snowball effect in the media.”

Rosenior found himself mocked for his approach: he became a figure of ridicule for handing substitute Alejandro Garnacho a note while losing 8-2 on aggregate, and for David Brent-esque quotes such as “respecting the ball” and “ageing men”.

“They made fun of those instructions I gave Garnacho on a scrap of paper when we were down to 10 men against PSG,” he continued. “The clothes I wore became a joke, the way I spoke too. I’m not a joke!

“You’re the first people I’m talking to about this, and probably the last for a long time, but one day, I’ll tell you what really happened.”

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Rosenior's Chelsea were routinely mocked (Image credit: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Since being relieved of duties, Rosenior has had another run-in with BlueCo, when he was subjected to abusive chants from fans of Strasbourg in September.

After Paris won the fixture, Rosenior appeared to celebrate in front of his former fans, perhaps signalling just how he truly feels towards his ex-employers.

Chelsea travel to Sunderland this weekend as Premier League action continues.

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.

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