Liam Rosenior showed true colours after Chelsea star's 'unacceptable' incident

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Liam Rosenior has already displayed the leadership qualities that have led to him being linked with the Chelsea job by rushing to defend soon-to-be Blues striker Emanuel Emegha. In the wake of Enzo Maresca's unexpected exit on New Year's Day, the Strasbourg boss has quickly become the frontrunner to succeed the Italian.

The 41-year-old has earned widespread praise for his work in Ligue 1 , having led BlueCo-owned Strasbourg to a seventh-place league finish last term. A key figure in the club's strong 2024/25 campaign was skipper Emegha, who struck 14 times across 27 top-flight matches.

Back in September, confirmation arrived that the Dutch striker would complete a switch to Chelsea at the end of the 2025/26 season - a move that provoked backlash from parts of the Strasbourg support, with growing resentment around the idea that the club functions as a development pipeline for the London club.

Not long after the £22million transfer was announced, several protest banners were displayed in the home end targeting both Emegha and club president Marc Keller. One message aimed at the forward stated: "Apres avoir change de maillot, rends ton brassard" [After changing your shirt, give back your armband].

Rosenior reacted decisively, describing the demonstration as "unacceptable" and stressing that Emegha had "earned" his transfer to a club the size of Chelsea. "I was sad when I saw that for one of my players, who's given everything for the club, who deserves to move to a top club," he said.

"We're not there yet. Hopefully Strasbourg will be seen in two, three years as a top European club. The reality is at the moment, we're not. We have clubs who are higher up the pecking order than we are.

"Emegha is the heart of the team in the way that he plays. For my young team, I have to protect them because they should be celebrated for what they're doing, not penalised for it."

The criticism has not affected Emegha's output, with the 22-year-old netting seven times in 11 games so far this term. That said, injuries have interrupted his progress, restricting him to only three league appearances since September.

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If Rosenior does take over at Chelsea, it may help Emegha settle quickly at Stamford Bridge next season. He would not, though, be the sole striker at the club already familiar with the Englishman.

Liam Delap, whose form and availability have been inconsistent since his £30million move from Ipswich last summer, previously worked under Rosenior during a loan spell at Hull City in 2023/24. During that period, he scored eight goals from 26 starts, with Rosenior often highlighting his qualities and upside.

"He [Delap] is one of a kind and I love him," Rosenior said in November 2023. "He is probably the player who I shout at the most in training. But he is a player I enjoy working with a lot as well... he is showing some really positive moments for us."

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A potential Rosenior appointment would also be viewed positively by Andrey Santos. The Brazilian enjoyed an outstanding loan campaign at Strasbourg, registering 11 goals and six assists while being named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year.

Since heading back to Chelsea, he has largely been used from the bench, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez firmly established in central midfield. Rosenior's prior experience with Santos, however, could alter that dynamic.

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