Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has questioned Chelsea’s decision to hire Liam Rosenior as head coach. He thinks Cesc Fabregas would have been a better fit for the job at Stamford Bridge. The former England midfielder spoke out soon after Rosenior was named Chelsea’s new manager on a contract that would last until 2032.
Rosenior came from Strasbourg, a sister club of Chelsea’s under BlueCo’s ownership structure. Last season, he led the French team to seventh place in Ligue 1, and this season, he led them to the top of their Conference League group. The 41-year-old takes over for Enzo Maresca, who left on New Year’s Day after his relationship with the club’s leaders broke down.
Before working at Strasbourg, Rosenior worked for Hull City and Derby County, but he has never been a manager in the Premier League. Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast that he admires what Fabregas has done at Como in Serie A. The ex-United midfielder said:
“I actually like what he [Fabregas] is doing and think he might have been a better choice for Chelsea than Liam Rosenior.”
Scholes was asked if Fabregas could be a candidate for Manchester United after Ruben Amorim was fired. He said that the Spaniard wasn’t right for Old Trafford but praised his qualifications for Chelsea. In July 2024, Como officially hired Fabregas as their permanent manager. In their first season back in Italy’s top flight in 21 years, they finished in a respectable 10th place.
Como are pushing for European football this season, and the club are currently in sixth place in Serie A. Fabregas is also a shareholder in Como and has a contract with them until June 2028. The 38-year-old has turned down offers from bigger clubs time and time again, even though several top teams, including Inter Milan, have tried to sign him.
Even though Liam Rosenior has been named Chelsea’s new head coach, he wasn’t in charge of the Premier League game against Fulham on Wednesday at Craven Cottage. Calum McFarlane, the team’s interim manager, led the Blues to a 2-1 loss against their rivals.
The FA Cup third-round match against Championship side Charlton Athletic on Saturday will be Rosenior’s first game in charge. On Tuesday night, the new manager was seen at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground for the first time, meeting his new team and getting ready for the cup match.