Liam Rosenior has been sacked by Chelsea after a run of just one win in eight games, and he had a couple clashes with his players at Stamford Bridge
Liam Rosenior failed to leave his mark during his short-lived spell at Chelsea, with five consecutive defeats in their bid for Champions League qualification forcing the club’s hierarchy to pull the trigger. A loss to Manchester United at the weekend allowed Brentford to draw level on points following their stalemate with Fulham, while a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Brighton proved the final straw, with the Seagulls and Bournemouth now leapfrogging them in the standings.
The Blues dispensed with the former Hull and Strasbourg manager on Tuesday following a wretched run of results. With just four fixtures remaining, sixth place would secure Europa League football, while seventh would earn a Conference League berth.
Chelsea’s recent form has left them mired in eighth, however, and they have failed to find the net in their last five league outings. Rosenior’s on-pitch difficulties were further compounded by a couple of significant disciplinary matters during his time at Stamford Bridge.
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With that in mind, football.london examines three players who have fallen foul of Chelsea’s head coach.
Enzo Fernandez
The Argentina international was handed a two-game ban by Chelsea for remarks made about former head coach Enzo Maresca earlier this month. On the same evening, the club captain stoked further speculation about his future, cryptically responding ‘we’ll see’ when quizzed about his plans beyond the World Cup.
The ban sidelined him for the FA Cup fixture against Port Vale and the Premier League clash with Manchester City. Despite the suspension, Fernandez continued training with the first-team squad but was relieved of the captaincy.
The midfielder’s remarks left supporters questioning whether there was an underlying message but Rosenior maintained his relationship with Fernandez ‘is in a very good place.’
“Me and Enzo are in a very good place,” said Rosenior. “I saw him today and I had a really good conversation with him on a one-to-one. Things aren’t what people maybe think they are.”
He made his return for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United – though he did not wear the captain’s armband.
Wesley Fofana
Further questions arose when Wesley Fofana marched straight down the tunnel after being withdrawn in the 81st minute during Chelsea’s 1-0 home loss to Manchester United on April 18, conspicuously snubbing both Rosenior and first-team coach Justin Walker.
In his post-match analysis, Rosenior initially voiced his disappointment that such public demonstrations were generating a “bad story” about the squad’s character. He acknowledged that while he valued passion, he believed the defender “could have shown that emotion in a better way” rather than turning it into a public spectacle. “I’ve spoken to the players about this,” he said following the match. “You tell a story about yourself in moments sometimes, especially on a football pitch. It’s emotional and you tell a story about your character and sometimes when you don’t show yourself in the best light, the perception of you is probably different to what the reality is.
“A lot of the work we’re doing with the group, with the players, is not football. It’s not just football. We have a young group of players and that’s a really positive thing at times and with that comes a responsibility for me and my staff to help them through difficult moments. I want to change the perception of them because I’ve got to know them very well. That takes time and they need to learn quicker than maybe they have done.”
By the following Monday, Rosenior confirmed that Fofana had issued a formal apology for his unprofessional conduct. The manager sought to ease the tension by stating: “Wes is a very emotional character in a good way. He’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. I think he could have showed his emotion in a better way and I’ve spoken to him about that. Wes apologised for his reaction.”
Emmanuel Emegha
Fernandez’s incident wasn’t the first occasion Rosenior has had to address a disciplinary matter. During his tenure at Strasbourg, he publicly criticised soon-to-be Chelsea player Emmanuel Emegha for failing to uphold ‘the values, expectations and rules’ of the club.
Emegha was handed a one-match suspension by the French outfit as a consequence, with Rosenior characterising it as punishment for ‘clumsy comments to the press.’
The Dutch international’s ban arose from an interview in which he confessed he initially believed Strasbourg was in Germany before signing, alongside comments implying the team’s disappointing results were down to his absence through injury. Rosenior acknowledged that he and the squad won’t forget the positive impact Emegha has had at Strasbourg, but emphasised that the striker is still only 22 and, like anyone, is prone to making errors.
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“Emma made some clumsy comments to the press that hurt a lot of people, and he had to be punished for that,” Rosenior said. “He also needs to realise that every action has consequences.”
In a statement posted on Instagram, the striker wrote: “I accept and understand the club’s decision to suspend me for this weekend. I’m 22-years-old, I’ve made mistakes and I know I still have a lot to learn. And I have to learn from this. I know I need to do better, and I will do better, on the pitch and off it, to represent the club. That’s important to me.
“I want to make it clear that I never intended to hurt anyone. Since I arrived here at 19, I have always given everything for Strasbourg. I’m proud to play for Racing and I’m proud to wear the captain’s armband.”
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Emegha is set to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer, having agreed a pre‐agreement back in September 2025. The striker has a seven‐year contract in place ahead of his move to west London.
Nevertheless, the 23‐year‐old has already cast doubt over his temperament before he has even linked up with Rosenior.
