Chelsea have parted company with head coach Liam Rosenior after a disastrous four-month tenure, marking the second managerial departure at Stamford Bridge this season.
The decision comes just four days before the club’s critical FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United, with the board citing results that fell “below necessary standards.”
Rosenior’s fate was sealed by Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton, which extended Chelsea’s nightmare run to five consecutive Premier League losses without scoring a single goal.
It is a barren streak not seen at the club since 1912—the same year the Titanic sank—leaving the Blues languishing in seventh place and seven points adrift of a Champions League berth.
Calum McFarlane, formerly the club’s U21 manager and Rosenior’s assistant, has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign.
This marks McFarlane’s second stint in the interim role this year, having previously led the senior squad for two matches following Enzo Maresca’s exit in January.
The 41-year-old Rosenior, who arrived from affiliate club Strasbourg, had initially signed a long-term deal but departs after winning just one of his last nine league fixtures.
In a scathing final interview at the Amex Stadium, Rosenior labeled his players’ performance “indefensible” and “unacceptable,” signaling a complete breakdown in the dressing room.
Despite the turmoil, Chelsea’s hierarchy insists they will now undertake a “process of self-reflection” to secure a long-term appointment that brings stability to the dugout.