Chelsea Football Club has officially confirmed the backroom staff for new head coach Liam Rosenior, who oversaw his first training session at the club's Cobham training ground on Thursday.
McFarlane's Swift Promotion to Senior Ranks
The most notable appointment is the promotion of under-21s caretaker manager Calum McFarlane, 37, to Rosenior's senior coaching team. As exclusively revealed by Daily Mail Sport, McFarlane leaves his role with the development squad to become an assistant coach.
This move came after Rosenior was personally impressed by how McFarlane handled the first-team squad over the past week. McFarlane took interim charge for two matches, overseeing a 1-1 draw away at Manchester City and a 2-1 defeat at Fulham. During the latter match, Marc Cucurella was sent off in the 22nd minute for denying Harry Wilson a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Interestingly, the promotion appears to have caught McFarlane himself by surprise. After the Fulham loss, when asked if he would return to lead the under-21s, he told reporters: 'As I understand it, we go back with the under-21s tomorrow.' He even inquired about the youth team's result in the Premier League International Cup, a match they lost 6-2 to Benfica.
Completing Rosenior's Coaching Team
McFarlane will be joined in the assistant coach roles by Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker, who have followed Rosenior to Stamford Bridge from sister club Strasbourg. The club also announced further specialist appointments.
Bernardo Cueva arrives as a set-piece coach, while Ben Roberts takes the role of goalkeeping coach. Ben Warner will serve as an analyst, having also made the switch from Strasbourg.
To fill the vacancy left by McFarlane's ascent, Harry Hudson will take over as under-21s manager, as reported by Daily Mail Sport.
First Session and Immediate Focus
The 41-year-old Rosenior conducted his inaugural session as Chelsea boss on Thursday, with the club's co-owner Behdad Eghbali watching on. Eghbali had also been present in the directors' box at Craven Cottage alongside Rosenior for the Fulham match.
All focus now turns to Rosenior's first match in permanent charge. Chelsea travel to face Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, marking the new coaching team's competitive debut.
This swift confirmation of his staff allows Rosenior to settle quickly and implement his ideas as he begins his reign at one of England's most prestigious clubs.
