MAX SPORTS: The Blues

Showing posts with label The Blues. Show all posts

Wednesday, 22 April 2026

CHELSEA SACK LIAM ROSENIOR WITH SIX YEARS LEFT TO RUN ON CONTRACT AFTER NIGHTMARE SPELL

Liam Rosenior leaves Chelsea after losing his last five Premier League matches in charge, without the Blues scoring a single goal in any of those damaging defeats

Chelsea have sacked Liam Rosenior as their head coach(Image: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)

Liam Rosenior has been sacked by Chelsea following a run of five consecutive Premier League defeats in which the team failed to score.

That run is their worst in the league over the past 113 years, dating back to six months after the Titanic sank in 1912. Rosenior only signed a six-and-a-half-year deal in January and started brightly but his side have quickly fallen down the Premier League table.

They were beaten comfortably 3-0 by Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday, and now are almost certain to miss out on qualification for next season’s Champions League. And now the club confirmed that Callum McFarlane will take charge until the end of the season, starting with Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.

Liam Rosenior acknowledges the Chelsea fans after the defeat to Brighton(Image: (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images))

A club statement read: "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," a statement read.

"Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season.

"This has not been a decision the club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season.

Liam Rosenior following Chelsea's defeat to Brighton(Image: 2026 Getty Images)

"Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future. Calum McFarlane will take charge of the team as interim head coach until the end of the season with support from existing club backroom staff, as we strive to achieve European qualification and progress in the FA Cup.

"As the club works to bring stability to the head coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment."

Speaking after Chelsea’s defeat at the Amex, Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca in January, said he must identify which players he can trust after delivering a scathing assessment of his team’s woeful defeat.

Chelsea's fans make their feelings known to the players after tht defeat to Brighton(Image: (Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images) )

“I understand their frustration,” he said of the fans. “The buck stops with me. I have thick skin and I understand why the fans are frustrated.

“I’m frustrated with the performances we’re putting in. I’ve just got to keep working hard with the staff, with the players.

“But what I do need to do is really look at how we go about games, the personnel of the team, who I can trust and rely on in difficult moments, because not enough players showed that.”

- Connor O'Neill and Matthew Abbott

Monday, 2 March 2026

CHELSEA MANAGER LIAM ROSENIOR IS NOT DOING A BAD JOB SO FAR

Saturday, 19 July 2025

CHELSEA READY TO MAKE €50M PLUS OFFER FOR BARCELONA MIDFIELDER

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are willing to make a €50 million-plus offer for the FC Barcelona midfielder.

FBL-EUR-C1-BARCELONA-SHAKHTAR | LLUIS GENE/GettyImages

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final on Sunday night, securing their title as world champions. The Blues are now looking to further bolster their squad ahead of next season after finishing the 24/25 campaign with two trophies under Enzo Maresca's leadership. Even though they have already made some major signings, they are now pursuing a few more.

Chelsea are believed to be currently looking to add more quality to their midfield. And they might look towards Barcelona for that.

As reported by Fichajes, Chelsea are willing to make an offer exceeding €50 million for Fermin Lopez, convinced that the competition he will face at Barcelona with players like Dani Olmo could open a window of opportunity. The Spaniard is fully focused on succeeding at Camp Nou, but he is also open to considering alternatives if his prominence diminishes.

Since being promoted to Barcelona's first-team, Lopez has only gotten better. The 22-year-old made a name for himself with his outstanding performances last season, despite not being a regular starter under Hansi Flick. He scored 8 goals and provided 10 assists in 46 matches across all competitions. He only featured for 2039 minutes. Elite output for a midfielder.

Chelsea ready to make €50m-plus offer for Barcelona midfielder

Lopez has four years left on his contract with Barcelona, and they have no plans of discussing his departure. The club believe he might become one of their pillars in the future.

However, it appears that Chelsea are hoping to capitalise on the fact that the Spanish club cannot guarantee him a starting role, and there is no immediate prospect of that improving next season. Remember, Olmo dealt with multiple injuries this season and is only expected to feature more often moving forward.

Furthermore, everybody is aware of the La Liga club's ongoing financial difficulties. As a result, they are always likely to consider satisfactory offers.

There is no doubt that Lopez would be an excellent addition to the team, but convincing Barcelona will be difficult because they are aware of the player's potential. And the 22-year-old is unlikely to leave his boyhood club unless absolutely convinced that it is the right step. Can Chelsea pull it off?

- Sayak Biswas

Monday, 14 July 2025

ENZO MARESCA REVEALS CHELSEA TARGETED THREE PSG PLAYERS IN CLUB WORLD CUP WIN

Enzo Maresca masterminded a victory over PSG (Picture: Getty)

Enzo Maresca revealed the tactical masterstroke that inspired Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.

The Blues were the underdogs heading into Sunday’s final at the MetLife Stadium, but produced a stunning display to shock the Champions League holders.

Cole Palmer showed his class with two well-taken finishes before setting up Joao Pedro, whose deft chip marked his third goal in just two Chelsea games having signed from Brighton midway through the tournament.

PSG have been far and away Europe’s best team this season, and comfortably dispatched of Real Madrid with a 4-0 win to reach the final.

But Luis Enrique’s side were tactically outhought for large swathes of the match, with their frustration on show towards the end of the match and shortly after full-time.

Few teams have been able to such produce a peformance against the French side this season, and Maresca revealed that the key to unpicking PSG on the night was by exploiting the space on in behind their midfield on the left side.

‘There are three midfielders, two of them were in charge of Reece [James] and Moi [Caicedo] this point, and Vitinha was in charge of Enzo [Fernandez],’ the Italian said post-match.

Cole Palmer starred as Chelsea won the Club World Cup (Picture: Getty)

‘Analysing them, we saw that was a good opportunity to exploit that space, and we scored a goal on that side.

‘It was just a game plan, as we said many times, we tried to use different game plans, and we tried to help the players to be in a position where they can give everything.

‘Today, it worked quite well. But overall, I think, as I just said, it has been the effort from all the team, all the players, and I’m very happy, especially for them, because they deserve this moment.’

Luis Enrique cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines (Picture: Getty)

Maresca continued: ‘I repeat, analyzing it, we saw that there was a lot of space on the left side of it, and that’s where we tried to win the game.

‘It went well, but I think we won the game in the first 10 minutes, when the team came out to demonstrate that we were here to try to win, respecting the rival, considering the rival the best team in the world at this time.

‘But I think in the end, you can give the players a plan, but in the end it’s them who have to execute it, and they did it very well.’

- Ben Fleming