Chelsea seriously considered appointing Flamengo boss Filipe Luis before opting to hire Liam Rosenior, according to reports.
The Telegraph claims that the former Blues defender was “interviewed” for the role of replacing Enzo Maresca.
It is believed that Luis would have been the cheaper option in terms of compensation but the club ultimately went with Rosenior instead.
The former Hull City and Strasbourg head coach will take charge of his first game when Chelsea travel to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup this weekend.
Why was Luis under consideration?
It is fair to say that his past Chelsea connection had very little to do with why he was a candidate. The Brazilian played at Stamford Bridge for just one season (2014/15) and struggled to make an impact.
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Luis’s managerial record during his time at Flamengo is the real reason that the Blues were interested in bringing him back to London.
During his 15-month spell in charge of the Brazilian side’s first team, Luis has won 7 trophies, including the league title, the Brazilian Cup and the Copa Libertadores. He has a win ratio of 64.77%.
Why did Chelsea appoint Rosenior instead?
Blueco have been very impressed with the Englishman since they appointed him as Strasbourg head coach at the start of last season.
After guiding them to a 7th-place finish and European qualification, Rosenior continued to have success in his second campaign.
Strasbourg currently sit 7th once again after 17 matches, and they finished top of the Conference League table, having won 5 and drawn 1 of their 6 games.
If you want a more in-depth analysis of what Rosenior will bring to the job following his appointment at Chelsea, you can read our recent post where we list five things fans can expect from the new Blues boss.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here