Former Chelsea star could be in line for manager job after brutal sack following 8-0 win

Chelsea are searching for a new head coach after Liam Rosenior was sacked following a 3-0 defeat at Brighton, with former defender Filipe Luis among the candidates after his surprise Flamengo dismissal

Former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis is emerging as a contender to take the helm as the club's next head coach - just weeks after being dismissed by Flamengo in the wake of an 8-0 victory. The west London club are now searching for their fourth manager in less than four months, following Liam Rosenior's dismissal on Wednesday.

Rosenior, 41, had been appointed Chelsea head coach on January 8 after caretaker boss Callum McFarlane had overseen two fixtures following Enzo Maresca's departure on New Year's Day. Despite a promising opening spell at Stamford Bridge, Rosenior's time in charge was cut short following a chastening 3-0 defeat away at Brighton.

That result extended Chelsea's losing Premier League run to five matches, leaving them sliding down to seventh place - now seven points adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool in the battle for Champions League qualification.

While McFarlane has been reinstated as interim head coach until the season's conclusion, the club remain firmly in the market for a permanent appointment, with Luis featuring prominently among the bookmakers' favourites.

With outgoing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola appearing to be a frontrunner, Luis sits high in the betting alongside former Chelsea teammate Cesc Fabregas, who is impressing at Serie A outfit Como.

Edin Terzic, Marco Silva and Diego Simeone are also reportedly under consideration, while Chelsea icon and current Coventry City manager Frank Lampard, along with Jose Mourinho, are regarded as longer-shot candidates.

Luis, 40, spent a single season at Chelsea, during which he played a key role in helping the Blues claim both the League Cup and the Premier League title. The Brazilian arrived at the club for £15.7million from Atletico Madrid in July 2014, making 26 appearances under Mourinho before departing the following summer.

He returned to Atletico and spent a further four years there, before heading back to Brazil to see out the remainder of his playing career at Flamengo. Following his retirement from professional football in December 2023, Luis wasted little time in moving into management at Flamengo, initially working within the academy before being handed the first-team head coach role.

The former Ajax and Deportivo La Coruna man enjoyed a remarkable 18 months at the helm, guiding the club to Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores glory during that spell. Nevertheless, the Brazilian club confirmed on March 3 that he had been relieved of his duties, despite overseeing an emphatic 8-0 victory over Madureira in the Campeonato Carioca semi-final.

The decision to dismiss Luis left many stunned, given that he had posted a 63.4 per cent win rate at Flamengo, triumphing in 64 of his 101 matches in charge. He also scooped the South American Coach of the Year award in 2025.

Now without a club following his departure from Flamengo, Chelsea may well turn their attention to appointing the former left-back as their new head coach ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.