Chelsea have parted company with Liam Rosenior – just 107 days after he took charge.
Calum McFarlane will lead the team into Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final with Leeds at Wembley and remain as interim head coach until the end of the season. McFarlane took on the same role earlier this season for two games when Enzo Maresca left.
Rosenior had been appointed as a surprise replacement for Maresca in January but seven defeats in the last eight matches has led to his reign being cut short after just four months.
He had signed a six-year contract with Chelsea when he made the move from Strasbourg, who are owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo. But there were chants from Chelsea fans for him to be dismissed during and after the 3-0 loss at Brighton on Tuesday night.
It was a fifth Premier League defeat in a row and makes qualification for next season’s Champions League unlikely. Chelsea failed to score in each of those five league defeats – their worst goalless losing league run since 1912.
Rosenior leaves Chelsea seventh in the Premier League, seven points off fifth-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Maresca left Chelsea in fifth but they had slipped to eighth by the time Rosenior took over from interim boss McFarlane.
Eweso News understands reports that Chelsea will have to pay Rosenior a large compensation fee are not accurate. It is understood a break clause was included in Rosenior’s contract.
The 41-year-old apologised to the travelling fans at Brighton at full-time but then hit out at his players, calling their performance “indefensible”, “unacceptable” and “unprofessional”.
During his time in charge, Rosenior also oversaw Carabao Cup semi-final defeats to Arsenal and an 8-2 aggregate thrashing in the Champions League last-16 by Paris St-Germain.
However, he did secure FA Cup wins over Championship sides Charlton, Hull City and Wrexham (on penalties) before a 7-0 drubbing of League One bottom club Port Vale set up Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final with Leeds.
A Chelsea statement read: “Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with head coach Liam Rosenior.
“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to place on record our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the club.
