'Another humiliating step' - Liam Rosenior to Chelsea leads to anger and further protests

Liam Rosenior is the new manager of Chelsea, having signed a deal until 2032, after being plucked from sister club Strasbourg - where supporters have been left utterly furious

Liam Rosenior's move to Chelsea has been met with fury in Strasbourg, where supporters have labelled the departure as "humiliating" as they prepare more protests against BlueCo.

Chelsea's owners purchased the French club in 2023 for just €75million, appointing Rosenior as head coach in July 2024, when he replaced Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira. Rosenior impressed in Ligue 1, guiding Strasbourg to seventh place with the youngest squad in Europe's top five leagues - including every outfield player being under the age of 23 in one match. He duly earned himself a new three-year deal.

But supporters have throughout continued to protest against multi-club ownership - Ultras boycott the start of matches - and despite spending €100m on players in the summer, unrest has continued with fans unhappy at seeing their club turned into a testing ground for young players, and being used as a de-facto Chelsea 'B' Team.

Strasbourg ultras have made clear their concerns with banners and protest chants during recent matches and they already boycott the first fifteen minutes of every home game.

Now fans are furious with Rosenior's exit, insisting it once again shows the French club's "subservience" to Chelsea under BlueCo.

The Federation of RC Strasbourg Supporters Club today posted on X: "The transfer of Liam Rosenior marks another humiliating step in Racing's subservience to Chelsea. For two and a half years, along with others, we have been trying to raise the alarm about this.

"The problem goes far beyond the mid-season sporting impact and the ambitions of a young coach. It is structural; the future of French club football is at stake. Every additional contortion by Marc Keller, every extra minute spent at the helm of the club, is an insult to the tremendous work accomplished before 2023. What was seen by many as an outrageous move last September increasingly looks like sound advice: he must leave. Now.

"The FSRCS will coordinate closely with the three other associations actively fighting against multiple ownership, as well as all people of goodwill, to define the next steps."

The club's Facebook page is awash with negative messages also after the statement issued concerning Rosenior's departure. The Eastern derby with Metz on January 18 promises to be a heated affair and more protests are expected both then and in this weekend's French Cup clash against minnows Avranches.

Rosenior will be in the stand for Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Fulham and will take his first training session on Thursday ahead of his first game in charge against Charlton in the FA Cup at the weekend. Calum McFarlane will take the team for the derby against the Cottagers.

“There are certain moments in your life where you have decisions that you can’t say no to,” Rosenior said at his farewell press conference with Strasbourg. “This for me is a club I would love for the rest of my life. But this opportunity for me is something I cannot turn down for many reasons.

“I want to make this clear, I am here [at the press conference] because I care about this club and I felt it was right to answer your questions physically before I move on with the next stage of my career. I am so excited for the future, my whole life has worked to be a coach and now to be presented this opportunity at a world class football [club] is something I have always dreamed of.

“With that is a mixed emotion of sadness of what I am leaving behind. This is the last day I wake up as Strasbourg manager. I hope the fans here can understand that. I am looking forward to the challenge, if I didn’t think I was ready, I wouldn’t have accepted it.

“The reality is Strasbourg is not on the level as Chelsea. There are certain clubs you just cannot turn down. I hope the fans can see that.”

Former Everton and Scotland defender David Weir is now Strasbourg’s sporting director and has the task of finding Rosenior’s replacement