Former Chelsea and Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi has weighed in on his former side's decision to part ways with Enzo Maresca and then appointing Liam Rosenior, Socccenet.ng reports.
The Italian manager was appointed in June 2024, and despite the hurdles in his first season, he crowned it with two titles – the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
However, a long-term injury to Levi Colwill at the start of the season and Nicolas Jackson's loan deal to Bayern Munich, both without replacements, caused a rift between Maresca and the Chelsea board.
Between November and December, Chelsea won just two games out of nine under Maresca, and the former Leicester City boss revealed he no longer felt the trust of the club.
Club statement: Enzo Maresca.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 1, 2026
On the first day of 2026, the two-time UEFA Champions League winners announced they'd reached an agreement to mutually part ways with Enzo Maresca.
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Mikel Obi's reaction to Enzo Maresca's dismissal
Although the results leading up to the dismissal of the former Manchester City assistant coach, Mikel maintained the club hierarchy should've been patient with Maresca, given he's given the most success in recent times.
“It's shambolic what's going on at the football club. It's crazy,” the AFCON 2013 winner said on the Obi One Podcast.
“Enzo Maresca was a fantastic coach for us. He was successful, did really well, won a few trophies, and it's a shame for me to see him go.
“I'm a big Enzo fan. I liked what he did with the players at his disposal. The players absolutely loved him. You can tell when players are fighting for the manager.
“However, when you come out as a coach to make that statement, you're setting yourself up for a sack, and that's what happened, especially when results don't go your way; it was an accident waiting to happen.
“I was hoping he'd be given more time. When you sign young players and a young manager, you're meant to give them time to grow together.
“Changing managers doesn't help the development of the players. It disrupts the whole thing. On the pitch, we were growing well, having an identity, but the last few months knocked us off course.
Chelsea's Liam Rosenior's appointment
Given Blue Co. own multiple clubs, with Strasbourg as the second team on their portfolio, their immediate replacement for Enzo Maresca was their coach, Liam Rosenior.
The Englishman had previously managed at Derby County and Hull City before taking over the Strasbourg role, and now at Chelsea. Mikel, however, believes the 41-year-old isn't qualified to coach a club of Chelsea's stature.
“Does his CV match the football club he's coming to manage? Definitely not, because he hasn't managed any top football club,” the one-time UEFA Champions League winner concluded.
“He hasn't been an assistant at any top club. He was at Hull, Derby and Strasbourg. It's a different ball game at Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“From what I've heard, he's a brilliant young coach, but the teams he's coached don't compare to Chelsea.
“How does he manage a World Cup winner like Enzo Fernandes, or World-class players like Moises Caicedo, Reece James?
“How does he win the fans over? Because if they're not happy, they'll turn on you.
“He can say as much as he wants, but he's the guy the board will manipulate and dictate what to do. I get that it's a huge opportunity to turn down, but they have no say on how the club is being run. Make no mistake about it.
“It's an opportunity for a black young manager, that's good, but it doesn't qualify you to get a job at Chelsea. It's a mess.
“I hope at some point, we get it right. A lot of black managers deserve to get opportunities to manage at the highest level, and I hope he does well to shut the critics.
“He's been given a six-year deal; he has to win trophies,” Mikel Obi concluded.
Rosenior backs himself for success at Chelsea
With the odds against him despite signing a six-year contract, the 41-year-old believes he has what it takes to make the Blues world beaters again.
“My job is to protect that identity and create a team that reflects these values in every game we play as we continue winning trophies,” the former Fulham full-back said in quotes from Chelsea's official website.
“To be entrusted with this role means the world to me, and I want to thank all involved for the opportunity and faith in undertaking this job. I will give everything to bring the success this club deserves.
“I believe deeply in teamwork, unity, togetherness and working for one another, and those values will be at the heart of everything we do. They will be the foundation of our success.
“I am excited to work with this extremely talented group of players and staff, to build strong connections on and off the pitch, and to create an environment where everyone feels united and driven by the same goal.
“There is a real hunger to win, and I will give everything, every single day, to help this team compete and win at the very highest level to make everyone connected and proud to be a part of Chelsea Football Club.
“I want our fans to be proud of who we are and what we represent in every single game that we play. They are the soul of this enormous, historic and huge football club.
“I cannot wait to meet you all. I cannot wait to get started,” the ex-Ipswich man concluded.
Chelsea are currently 8th on the English Premier League table, three points off Liverpool, who currently occupy fourth place.
