Calum McFarlane is preparing for the biggest match of his career as Chelsea's interim head coach faces Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Victory would not only redeem Chelsea's disappointing season and secure European football but also help convince top managerial target Xabi Alonso to join the club.
McFarlane, 38, will take charge of just his sixth senior match, creating one of the most significant experience mismatches in FA Cup final history. Guardiola has won 6.8 trophies for every game McFarlane has overseen. The Chelsea interim coach spent evenings watching Disney Pixar's Cars with his two-year-old son before this week's preparations.
McFarlane and his makeshift staff have studied City's tactics and debated whether to use a 4-2-3-1 or the 3-4-3 that earned a draw at Liverpool. Chelsea have not beaten City since the 2021 Champions League final, but McFarlane was present in Porto as a City employee. His first match in senior management ended in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad in January.
McFarlane won the Under-18s Premier League as a City assistant in 2022 with players now in City's squad. Chelsea have lost their last three FA Cup finals but believe they can cause an upset. McFarlane plans to wear a tracksuit for the final, staying true to his understated style.
