**Chelsea are expected to appoint Liam Rosenior as Enzo Maresca’s replacement imminently.**
The Blues’ hierarchy are big fans of the 41-year-old, who guided Blueco-owned Strasbourg to European qualification last season. However, at the end of last week, _Chelsea News_ started a poll to find out who supporters wanted to [**succeed Maresca**](https://chelseanews.com/blog/chelsea-news-five-managers-who-could-replace-maresca/) in the hot seat. Press “view results” to see who came out on top:
Fabregas is the fan favourite
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With 42.9% of the vote, former Chelsea player Cesc Fabregas is the coach whom the majority of supporters wanted as their next head coach.
The Spaniard has had a very impressive start to his managerial career. He guided unfancied Como to a 10th-place finish in his first season. They are currently sitting 6th this campaign, having lost just 3 of their 17 games.
Former Barcelona boss Xavi was runner-up in our poll, taking just over 22% of the vote. The Catalan has not been in management since leaving the Camp Nou in the summer of 2024. He won the league title during his 3 years in charge.
Rosenior is third (17.27%), with Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner (8.36%), Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola (5.29%) and Bayern’s Vincent Kompany (3.9%) making up the rest of the list.
Chelsea are gambling on Rosenior
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Many see the former Hull City head coach as a “company man”, having been appointed by Blueco to manage Strasbourg, but he is far from a safe pair of hands.
Rosenior has played in the Premier League, having made appearances for four different teams, but he has never managed in the English top flight.
He will also have to deal with the pressure of managing a high-profile club for the first time, as well as coaching a group of players well above the standards of those he currently works with in France.
[**Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://chelseanews.com/blog/chelsea-first-team-squad/)