Football Chelsea Sack Rosenior: Could Blues Still Qualify for Champions League Next Season?
Published 23 Apr 2026 at 2:02 PM by Elijah Odetokun
Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Liam Rosenior after a poor run of results that included five Premier League matches without a win or a goal. The club's hierarchy believes this decision is best to salvage the remainder of the season with only five league matches left. Interim manager Calum McFarlane will lead the team in an attempt to secure Champions League qualification and win the FA Cup.
Rosenior took over in January after former manager Enzo Maresca resigned on New Year's Day due to a breakdown in his relationship with the club. Chelsea's statement confirmed McFarlane's interim appointment, with the primary objectives of qualifying for European football and progressing in the FA Cup. The team currently sits in eighth place, seven points behind a Champions League spot, and will face Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-final this weekend.
Will Chelsea Qualify for the Champions League?
The Premier League will have five slots in the UEFA Champions League next season after finishing in the top two of the coefficient rankings. Liverpool currently holds the fifth position with 55 points, while Chelsea has 48 points with four matches remaining. The Blues have home games against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, and away games against Liverpool and Sunderland. To qualify, Chelsea must win all four matches and hope other results favor them. They defeated Nottingham Forest and Tottenham in the first leg under Maresca, but face those teams under a different manager now. According to The Analyst, Opta's supercomputer gives Chelsea a 1.39% chance of securing Champions League football.
Alternative European Competitions
The UEFA Europa League and Europa Conference League appear to be more realistic targets for Chelsea. Another season without European football would worsen the club's finances, which recently reported a loss of over £200 million. This could also hinder their ability to hire a top manager and secure a front-of-shirt sponsor.
How Aston Villa Could Help Chelsea
Legit.ng previously reported how Aston Villa could assist Chelsea's Champions League hopes. If Aston Villa wins the UEFA Europa League and finishes fifth in the Premier League, the sixth-place team would earn a Champions League spot.
