Liam Rosenior, the new manager of Chelsea, was found guilty of speeding after he couldn’t go to a planned speed awareness course in France because of fog. Derbyshire Police charged the 41-year-old with a crime after his car was caught on a speed camera last July.
Rosenior said he was driving his Audi A8 Quattro at 36 mph in a 30 mph zone on Rykneld Road in Littleover, Derbyshire, at 11:41 a.m. on July 7. The English manager, who was still working at Strasbourg at the time, was given the choice to take a speed awareness course to avoid being charged with a crime, but he didn’t show up for the scheduled session.
A note sent to Derby Magistrates Court explained why he wasn’t there. He told the court:
“Unfortunately during the time when the drivers awareness course was booked we were stuck in France due to fog after the game with my work, as it was deemed unsafe to fly back home.”
On January 2, just days before his high-profile appointment at Stamford Bridge, he was found guilty at a single justice procedure hearing. Magistrate Paul Moslin gave him three penalty points on his driving license and told him to pay a lot of money. The total amount paid was ÂŁ1,052, which included a ÂŁ666 fine, ÂŁ120 in costs, and a ÂŁ266 victim surcharge.
After Rosenior didn’t accept a conditional fixed penalty offer, the case went to court. He paid the fine on December 8, 2025, but he didn’t give his license information for endorsement within the 28-day time limit. This mistake in administration caused the fixed penalty agreement to be canceled and the court process to begin.
While managing the French club, Rosenior flew back and forth between France and his family home in Derbyshire, where he lives with his wife and four kids. The difficult job of running a professional football team in another country while keeping in touch with family in England was a big part of what led to his conviction.
Liam Rosenior is the new head coach of Chelsea on a six-year deal
On Tuesday, Chelsea announced that Liam Rosenior would be their new head coach. The Englishman signed a contract that lasts until 2032. This move happened after Enzo Maresca was fired on New Year’s Day because he and the club’s top brass weren’t getting along.
Rosenior’s first game in charge will be the FA Cup third-round match against Championship side Charlton Athletic on Saturday. The Blues’ new manager is likely to be at the Premier League game against Fulham on Wednesday, but he will be in the stands instead of the technical area.
The 41-year-old has never coached in the Premier League before, and this is a big step for him. He will be Chelsea’s fourth permanent manager since BlueCo took over the team in 2022. He has been a manager at Derby County, Hull City, and most recently Strasbourg, where he led the French team to seventh place in Ligue 1.