6 Picks for Next Chelsea Manager After Enzo Maresca's Dismissal

A new year offers an opportunity for change, and Chelsea (being Chelsea) barely hesitated. 

Not even a day had passed in 2026 when the London club decided to part ways with manager Enzo Maresca. 

The Italian leaves the club fifth in the Premier League table. His dismissal comes after reported internal tensions at Stamford Bridge and a poor run of form—just two wins in nine in all competitions. 

During his 18 months in charge, he won the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup. 

While winning two trophies looks great on the surface, the former wasn't exactly a tough challenge for a club of Chelsea's caliber, and the latter was basically a glorified pre-season tournament. 

Now, the club is on the lookout for its fifth manager since 2022. You would think the pool of contenders would be getting shallow given the rate at which the board fires its coaches, but at least a handful of managers haven't yet sat on the Chelsea hotseat.

Ahead, we've highlighted a few who might be tempted to take up what could essentially be a temporary position. 

Liam Rosenior

Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images

Chelsea's ownership group, BlueCo, also owns Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.

That has led many players to make the trip between the English capital and Alsace, either permanently or on loan. 

It has obviously provided the Blues with an opportunity to develop young talent or to jettison underperforming players. Of course, it also gives Chelsea essentially first refusal on any player who might make the grade in the Premier League.

That luxury extends to coaching staff, too.

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is already considered a top contender for the vacant Chelsea role, having led Les Bleu et Blanc admirably for a season-and-a-half. 

The 41-year-old took the club to seventh in Ligue 1 last season, a position they also occupy in the 2025-26 league table after 16 games.

The Englishman is already highly regarded after just over three years in management. His tactical versatility will be welcome at a club with high player turnover, and his possession-based, pressing style will be well-suited to the Premier League. 

Maresca's unwillingness to adapt to the club's internal decisions regarding medical advice was among the reasons for his dismissal, per The Guardian, so Rosenior's willingness to be flexible will certainly be welcomed by the club.

He already has experience with how BlueCo operates, and knowledge of players under the group's umbrella will be valuable as Chelsea tries to leverage the multi-club model. 

Francesco Farioli

Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images

Chelsea could swap one Italian for another if the club is convinced by Francesco Farioli.

The 36-year-old has Porto at the top of the Primeira Liga, going undefeated after 16 games and drawing just once.

In 2024-25, he helped rebuild Ajax after a couple of disappointing seasons and guided the club to second in the Eredivisie, just a point off champions PSV after a late-season collapse.

It's clear he has a winning mentality, and despite his tender years, he has already found success in charge of five senior clubs across Turkey, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

He has taken plenty of guidance from Roberto de Zerbi—who was once a Chelsea target, per the BBC's Nizaar Kinsella—and has incorporated his compatriot's work ethic and swashbuckling style into his own managerial career. 

It might be tough to convince him to leave the Dragões with a possible league title in the club's future, but it's certainly worth a try. 

Farioli has proved adept at extracting the best out of his players, and with Chelsea's wealth of talent, he could achieve great things for years to come.

Cesc Fabregas

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

As a player, Cesc Fabregas spent a little over four years at Chelsea, winning the Premier League twice, the FA Cup once, and claiming a Europa League title. 

As a manager, the Spaniard has already impressed, guiding Como to its best Serie A finish in over three decades in 2024-25 and pushing them to sixth after 16 matches in 2025-26. 

The 38-year-old is one of the hottest managerial prospects around, and a return to his former club would be an attractive proposition as he looks to take a significant step up in his young coaching career.

Fabregas has drawn on his playing days and applied them to his coaching philosophy, preferring possession and careful buildup on the route to goal. The results so far have been mightily impressive.

He has favored a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would suit the current Chelsea squad perfectly, and he would almost definitely get the best out of the expensive midfield duo of Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández, having excelled in a central role during his playing days.

Chelsea has previously taken a punt on young managers embarking on an apparently rapid career trajectory, and while previous appointments of Frank Lampard and Maresca didn't deliver the success hoped for, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Blues took a similar approach again. 

Frank Lampard

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

On the subject of Lampard, let's talk about the Chelsea midfield legend.

The 47-year-old has already taken charge of the club twice, including once on an interim basis following the departure of Graham Potter.

While he didn't convince in either stint that he could stay in the job for the long term, he's steadily rebuilding his managerial credentials in charge of Coventry City.

He has the Sky Blues at the top of the Championship, eight points clear of second-place Ipswich Town after 25 games. If he can keep the club on that path, Coventry will be playing Premier League football next season for the first time since 2001. 

Interestingly, Maresca got the Chelsea job after guiding Leicester City to the top of English football's second tier. Lampard hasn't quite confirmed that feat yet, but at least there is precedent for such an appointment. 

After two unsuccessful spells in the Stamford Bridge dugout, the club might be wary of going back to the well a third time. But Lampard has obviously learned from his previous experiences and is adapting his style to handle the rigors of management. 

Maybe he deserves one more chance. 

Xavi Hernandez

Emilee Chinn - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

After leaving Barcelona in 2024, Xavi Hernandez still hasn't taken up another managerial role.

The Spaniard won La Liga and the Supercopa de España during his two-and-a-half seasons in charge of the Blaugrana. 

While the club would undoubtedly have expected more success during his tenure, that's still a fair achievement in his first and still only job in a European side's dugout.

His appointment would perhaps be a bit of a gamble, since he arguably should have achieved more with the talent available to him in Spain. 

But he does have experience corralling high-profile players in top European competitions, and he is available, making Chelsea's negotiation process that much easier.

Oliver Glasner

Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

Oliver Glasner's future at Crystal Palace is uncertain, with the Austrian in the final year of his contract and the Eagles struggling to secure his long-term future. 

He has performed minor miracles in south London, delivering an FA Cup trophy (the club's first major title) and swiftly following that with the Community Shield. 

He's hit a bit of a rough patch, but that's perhaps expected with the club playing a ridiculous number of games in short succession over December and having to juggle a squad with very little depth.

His credentials are clear, though, and Chelsea would be wise to encourage him to make the short trip across the U.K.'s capital.