Online Reporter
LIAM ROSENIOR’S ill-fated tenure as Chelsea manager is over after just four months.
And it means Chelsea are looking for their third manager of 2026 — before the end of April.
Enzo Maresca left on New Year’s Day after flirting with Manchester City and falling out with the hierarchy.
Rosenior went this evening after a nightmare run of five Premier League defeats in a row – with no goals scored in that time — their worst spell since the Titanic sank in 1912.
They also crashed out of the Champions League 8-2 on aggregate to PSG.
And seven defeats in eight matches — the only win came over National League-bound Port Vale in the FA Cup —was simply not good enough for Rosenior to keep his job.
His blazing rant at his underperforming players following last night’s 3-0 thrashing at Brighton — during which the manager was abused by the away fans — proved the final straw and he was axed this afternoon following talks earlier in the day.
Rosenior, 41, is expected to receive a £4million pay-off, equivalent to a year’s wages.
Chelsea admitted they will have a period of “self-reflection” before appointing their new manager in the summer.
Calum McFarlane will take charge as interim boss until the end of the season, though, tasked with securing Champions League qualification and a spot in the FA Cup final.But who are the contenders to become the new permanent Chelsea boss as the “club works to bring stability to the head coach position”?SunSport rounds up eight candidates including two ex-Blues players — and that man Jose Mourinho.
ANDONI IRAOLA
One of the early leading names linked with the Stamford Bridge gig is Andoni Iraola.
The Spaniard has done a remarkable job at Bournemouth— the Cherries have 12th and ninth under him and are on course to challenge for a European spot right to the end of this campaign.
Iraola confirmed earlier this month he will leave the Vitality this summer when his contract expires so would be free for the Blues.
He has Premier League experience — unlike Rosenior — but does he have what it takes to manage a big, big club at this stage?
CESC FABREGAS
Cesc Fabregas knows Stamford Bridge well after spending five years as a player there from 2014 to 2019, winning the Prem twice.
He got his first full-time managerial gig in July 2024 at Como once he had completed his Uefa Pro licence.And it has been a roaring success as the Italian club, finishing tenth in Serie A last term and they are fifth right now, above Roma, Atalanta and Lazio.
FILIPE LUIS
Another man in the frame is Fabregas’ former SW6 team-mate, Filipe Luis.
He was bizarrely sacked by Brazilian giants Flamengo in March following an 8-0 win and with an incredible haul of seven trophies won in 100 games, including the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian league title.
XABI ALONSO
Out of the managers currently available on the market, Blues chiefs would be hard-pressed to find one better than Xabi Alonso.
The Spaniard guided Bayer Leverkusen to an incredible unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double, while they did also lose the Europa League final to an Ademola Lookman hat-trick for Atalanta.
He eventually took over at Real Madrid, but left the club in January 2026 after a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana.
XAVI
Another of the great Spanish midfielders of that dominating era, Xavi is also on the market.He started his managerial career with two-and-a-half years at Al-Sadd in Qatar, where he finished his playing career, then returned to his Nou Camp home.
Xavi was Barcelona manager from November 2021 to May 2024, winning LaLiga and the Supercopa de Espana in 2023.
FRANK LAMPARD
Frank Lampard has previously been in the Chelsea hotseat and did reasonably well, especially dealing with a transfer ban.
Results did fall off in his second season, but the squad he helped to build based on the backbone of the Cobham academy did go on to win the Champions League that season under successor Thomas Tuchel.
Lampard spent time in management at Everton before he returned to Chelsea as caretaker after Graham Potter was sacked, and has now clinched the Championship title with Coventry.
JOSE MOURINHO
He couldn’t, could he? Surely not?
Jose Mourinho returned to Benfica last September on a two-year deal until 2027 soon after his exit from Fenerbahce.
But he would not doubt jump at the chance of a third stint as Chelsea manager – and he would certainly not lack confidence.
The two-time Champions League winner won the Prem in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2014-15 and is a certified legend at Stamford Bridge.
OLIVER GLASNER
Like Iraola, Oliver Glasner has confirmed he is leaving Crystal Palace when his contract expires in a few weeks.
Like Iraola, he has been linked with the Manchester United job.
Glasner is a trophy winner —he will hope to add the Conference League to his FA Cup success before leaving Selhurst Park.
But he is not afraid to speak his mind and call out his ownership, which may not go down well with the BlueCo chiefs. —Sun.
