Chelsea Football Club have officially unveiled Liam Rosenior's new-look backroom staff, as the recently appointed head coach took his first training session at Cobham on Thursday.
McFarlane's Swift Promotion to Senior Ranks
Calum McFarlane, the 37-year-old who was serving as Chelsea's Under-21s manager, has been promoted to become one of Rosenior's assistant coaches. This move was exclusively revealed by Daily Mail Sport, following McFarlane's stint as caretaker with the senior side.
McFarlane oversaw the last two matches before Rosenior's appointment, including a 1-1 draw away at Manchester City and a 2-1 defeat at Fulham. During the Fulham match, defender Marc Cucurella was shown a red card after just 22 minutes for denying Harry Wilson a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Interestingly, after that loss, McFarlane indicated to reporters he expected to return to the Under-21s, stating: 'As I'm aware, we're back with the Under 21s tomorrow.' His promotion, personally requested by Rosenior after being impressed with his interim work, appears to have been a rapid development.
New Coaching Team Takes Shape
McFarlane will be joined in the assistant coach roles by Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker, who have followed Rosenior to Stamford Bridge from Chelsea's sister club, Strasbourg.
The club also confirmed several other key appointments to Rosenior's staff:
- Bernardo Cueva will take on the role of set-piece coach.
- Ben Roberts has been named the new goalkeeper coach.
- Ben Warner will serve as an analyst, having also made the move from Strasbourg.
To fill the vacancy left by McFarlane's step up, Harry Hudson will assume control of the Under-21s side.
Rosenior's First Game and Immediate Focus
The 41-year-old Rosenior conducted his inaugural training session as Chelsea boss on Thursday, with all eyes now on his competitive debut. His first match in charge will be this Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie away at Charlton Athletic.
Rosenior watched the Fulham defeat from the Craven Cottage directors' box alongside club co-owner Behdad Eghbali, while McFarlane led the team from the touchline. The new head coach has since moved quickly to assemble his preferred team, blending internal promotions with trusted colleagues from France.
This backroom reshuffle marks the beginning of a new chapter for Chelsea, as Rosenior looks to imprint his philosophy immediately, starting with the cup clash this weekend.
