Liam Rosenior was sacked by Chelsea on Tuesday following an underwhelming three months at Stamford Bridge
Liam Rosenior struggled to make an impression during his brief time at Chelsea, with five defeats on the bounce in their push for Champions League qualification being enough to persuade club chiefs to wield the axe. Defeat to Manchester United at the weekend allowed Brentford to draw level with them on points after their goalless draw with Fulham and a 3-0 hammering by Brighton just proved to much as the Seagulls and Bournemouth now sit above them in the table.
The Blues sacked the former Hull and Strasbourg boss on Tuesday after a turgid run of results. With just four games remaining, sixth place would secure a Europa League spot, while seventh would earn a place in the Conference League.
Chelsea’s recent form has left them languishing in eighth, however, and they’ve failed to score in their last five league matches. Rosenior’s struggles with his team on the pitch also led to a couple of major disciplinary issues during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
READ MORE: ‘Jose Mourinho demanded I get him out of Chelsea – I could see it coming’READ MORE: Chelsea star was ‘crying’ at half-time vs Man Utd as Liam Rosenior offers injury updateWith that said, Mirror Sport takes a look at three players who have gotten on the wrong side of the former Chelsea head coach.
Enzo Fernandez
The Argentina international was handed a two‑game ban by Chelsea for comments made about former head coach Enzo Maresca earlier this month. On the same evening, the skipper sparked further uncertainty about his future, cryptically saying ‘we’ll see’ when asked what might happen after the World Cup.
The ban ruled him out of the FA Cup tie against Port Vale and the Premier League match against Manchester City. Despite the suspension, Fernandez continued to train with the first‑team squad and was stripped of the captaincy. He returned for the Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Manchester United – but did not don the captain’s armband.
The midfielder’s comments left fans wondering whether there was a hidden message behind them, but Rosenior insisted 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.”
Wesley Fofana
More eyebrows were raised when Wesley Fofana stormed directly down the tunnel after being substituted in the 81st minute during Chelsea’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United on April 18, pointedly ignoring both Rosenior and first-team coach Justin Walker.
In his post-match assessment, Rosenior initially expressed frustration that such public displays were creating a “bad story” about the squad’s character. He noted that while he appreciated passion, he felt the defender “could have shown that emotion in a better way” rather than making it 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 attempted to diffuse the tension by saying: “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
While he is not officially a Chelsea player just yet, Emmanuel Emegha is joining the club in the summer – and he’d already fallen out with Rosenior. During his time at Strasbourg, Rosenior publicly called out Emegha for failing to respect ‘the values, expectations and rules’ of the club.
Emegha was handed a one‑game suspension by the French side as a result, with Rosenior describing it as punishment for ‘clumsy comments to the press.’
The Dutch international’s ban stemmed from an interview in which he admitted he initially thought Strasbourg was in Germany before joining, as well as remarks suggesting the team’s poor results were due to his absence through injury.
Rosenior acknowledged that he and the team won’t forget the positive contributions Emegha has made at Strasbourg, but stressed that the striker is still only 22 and, like anyone, is capable of making mistakes.
“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 released 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 due to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer, having signed a pre‑agreement in September 2025. The striker has a seven‑year deal in place for when he makes the move to west London.
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