"While he may have grown up the son of a humble Italian fisherman, the head coach had gotten a little too big for his waders, eventually being tossed into an ocean of opaque criticism he had levelled at unspecified members of the club hierarchy. Like a frail old man bobbing around the Tyrrhenian Sea while trying to reel in a 500lb bluefin tuna with a spool of dental floss, Maresca had picked a battle he was always going to lose and on Tuesday Chelsea unveiled the Italian's replacement."
"In a quaint callback to their former habit of selling hotels and women's football teams they already own to themselves, the club's owners BlueCo confirmed they had lured Liam Rosenior to Stamford Bridge from Strasbourg who, as luck would have it, are also owned by BlueCo. The 41-year-old has signed a contract until 2032, or until his sort-of-new employers discover he used to be an intelligent, opinionated and socially aware Big Website columnist who might not be the kind of malleable Yes Man they require for the spreadsheet to function."
"This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies, parped Rosenior. My job is to protect that identity and create a team that reflects these values in every game we play as we continue winning trophies. To be entrusted with this role means the world to me and I want to thank all involved for the opportunity and faith in undertaking this job."
Chelsea sacked head coach Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day 2026 after he levelled opaque criticism at unspecified members of the club hierarchy. Maresca's confrontational stance was characterised as a battle he could not win. Club owners BlueCo appointed Liam Rosenior, 41, as the new head coach, bringing him from Strasbourg, another BlueCo-owned club. Rosenior signed a contract running until 2032. Rosenior stated his intent to protect Chelsea's identity, build a team reflecting club values and continue winning trophies. Strasbourg, currently sitting seventh in Ligue 1, retained a place in his heart.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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