Chelsea Football Club have formally unveiled the backroom staff who will support new head coach Liam Rosenior, marking a significant step as the former defender took his first training session at Cobham.
McFarlane's Swift Promotion to Senior Ranks
Calum McFarlane, the 37-year-old who was serving as Chelsea's Under-21s manager, has been permanently promoted to become one of Rosenior's assistant coaches. This move follows an exclusive report by Daily Mail Sport, which revealed Rosenior personally requested McFarlane join his team after being impressed with his interim management of the senior side.
McFarlane oversaw the last two matches before Rosenior's appointment, including a 1-1 draw away at Manchester City and a 2-1 defeat at Fulham. During the Fulham match, defender Marc Cucurella was sent off after just 22 minutes for denying Harry Wilson a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Interestingly, after that loss, McFarlane indicated to reporters he expected to return to the Under-21s, stating: 'As I'm aware, we're back with the Under 21s tomorrow.' His promotion appears to have been a rapid and perhaps unexpected development.
Completing Rosenior's Coaching Team
McFarlane will be joined in the assistant coach roles by Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker, who have followed Rosenior from Chelsea's sister club, Strasbourg. The club also confirmed several other key appointments to the technical staff.
Bernardo Cueva arrives as the dedicated set-piece coach, while Ben Roberts takes on the role of goalkeeper coach. Analyst Ben Warner has also made the switch from Strasbourg to Stamford Bridge.
To fill the vacancy left by McFarlane's ascent, Harry Hudson will assume the role of Under-21s head coach, as first reported by Daily Mail Sport.
First Session and Immediate Focus
Rosenior, 41, led his inaugural training session as Chelsea boss on Thursday at the club's Surrey training ground. All focus now turns to his competitive debut in the dugout.
His first match at the helm will be this Saturday, as Chelsea travel to face Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round. The new coaching team will be eager to make a positive immediate impression and progress in the prestigious domestic cup competition.
The reshuffle comes after a period of caretaker management, during which Rosenior observed the Fulham match from the Craven Cottage directors' box alongside club co-owner Behdad Eghbali.
