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Former Villa star John Terry slams Chelsea after being snubbed for interim manager role

Ex Aston Villa assistant boss John Terry has been left fuming after being snubbed for the Chelsea interim manager role, with the Blues legend claiming he was the most qualified candidate in the building for the job

John Terry has taken aim at Chelsea after he was overlooked for their interim manager position

John Terry has taken aim at Chelsea after he was overlooked for their interim manager position

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John Terry has taken aim at Chelsea after he was overlooked for their interim manager position(Image: Piers Morgan Uncensored )

Former Aston Villa assistant manager John Terry has voiced his frustration at being overlooked for Chelsea's interim manager role following Liam Rosenior's sacking.

The club dismissed the 41-year-old after just three-and-a-half months in charge and turned to Calum McFarlane as caretaker boss for the second time during the 2025/26 season.

Following Enzo Maresca's exit, Chelsea's under-18s coach had initially been appointed for just two matches before Rosenior's permanent arrival.

McFarlane subsequently took charge of six Chelsea fixtures at the season's conclusion, including an FA Cup final, prompting Terry to express his disappointment at being passed over, speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

When Morgan suggested that Terry's omission was 'borderline offensive', the former captain responded: "Now Piers, you're 100% spot on. I've never thought that I could be Chelsea manager.", reports the Mirror.

Former Aston Villa player and coach John Terry(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire)

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"But when a manager leaves the football club and Chelsea are looking for an interim manager, there was no one in the building, the academy building or the first team building, that was more qualified than me in terms of their qualifications.

"More importantly, and above all of that, whether it was for one game or two games, there was no one more Chelsea than me. And again, touching on the supporters, giving the supporters what they wanted at that time."

Terry has previously expressed frustration over a lack of opportunities to progress his coaching ambitions, with experience limited to an assistant role at Villa and part-time mentoring within Chelsea's academy setup.

The former Villa player and coach enjoyed a glittering playing career, winning four Premier League titles with the London club,. while also lifting the Champions League trophy and numerous FA Cup honours.

Before bringing the curtain down on his playing career, Terry arrived at Villa Park on a one-year contract in 2017 where he was appointed captain.

He would retire in October the next year and decided to make his first foray into coaching, returning to the Villans where he served as Dean Smith's assistant, before leaving after three years in 2021.

The iconic centre-half was amongst England's 'Golden Generation' of stars, many of whom have made the transition into coaching with their illustrious playing backgrounds opening doors. Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney have both taken on managerial positions, alongside Terry's former teammate Frank Lampard.

While Terry has dismissed taking the Chelsea position on a permanent footing in the immediate future, he could emerge as a candidate for those in west London at a later stage.

John Townley

John Townley

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