Chelsea Football Club has officially unveiled the backroom team for new head coach Liam Rosenior, who oversaw his first training session at the club's Cobham training ground on Thursday. The confirmation comes ahead of Rosenior's debut match in charge, an FA Cup third-round trip to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
McFarlane's Swift Promotion to Senior Ranks
The most notable appointment is the promotion of under-21s coach Calum McFarlane, 37, to Rosenior's senior coaching staff. As exclusively revealed by Daily Mail Sport, McFarlane leaves his role with the development squad to become an assistant coach. He will work alongside Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker, who have followed Rosenior to Stamford Bridge from sister club Strasbourg.
McFarlane's rise has been rapid. He was in temporary charge of the first team for their last two Premier League matches, overseeing a 1-1 draw at Manchester City and a 2-1 defeat at Fulham. During the latter match, defender Marc Cucurella was sent off in the 22nd minute for denying Harry Wilson a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Rosenior, who watched the Fulham loss from the directors' box alongside co-owner Behdad Eghbali, was reportedly so impressed with McFarlane's handling of the senior squad that he personally requested his appointment. The move seemingly caught McFarlane himself by surprise; after the Fulham game, he told journalists he expected to return to his under-21 duties, stating, "As I understand it, we go back with the under-21s tomorrow."
Completing the Coaching Line-Up
Chelsea also announced several other key staff appointments. Bernardo Cueva joins as a set-piece coach, while Ben Roberts takes the role of goalkeeping coach. Analyst Ben Warner has also made the switch from Strasbourg to complete Rosenior's core team.
To fill the vacancy left by McFarlane's promotion, Harry Hudson will step up to take charge of the under-21 side. His immediate task is to rebuild confidence after the young Blues suffered a heavy 6-2 defeat to Benfica in the Premier League International Cup earlier this week. McFarlane had shown his commitment to the youth side even during his interim senior role, asking journalists for the result of that match as he was unaware of the scoreline.
Rosenior's First Session and Immediate Challenge
The 41-year-old Rosenior conducted his maiden session as permanent boss at Cobham, beginning the work of imprinting his philosophy on the squad. His first competitive fixture presents a classic FA Cup challenge away to League One side Charlton. All eyes will be on his team selection and approach as he looks to start his tenure with a victory and a place in the fourth-round draw.
This flurry of activity marks the beginning of a new chapter for Chelsea under Rosenior's leadership, with a blend of internal promotion and trusted external appointments shaping his coaching team.
