Title-winning manager was discussed by Chelsea before Liam Rosenior was appointed

When Chelsea sacked Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior wasn’t the only candidate being considered to replace him.

The club was reportedly also in talks with Filipe Luis, who spent the 2014/15 season at Stamford Bridge.

Luis has been doing well as Flamengo boss and even led his team to victory over Chelsea at the Club World Cup.

The board is said to have looked at other options too before eventually settling on Rosenior, who they brought in from Strasbourg.

Niko Kovac was under consideration for the Chelsea job

Manchester United are on the hunt for a new manager and have Borussia Dortmund’s Niko Kovac among those they’re looking at.

It’s not widely known, but there was a moment when he could have taken over at Chelsea instead of Rosenior.

Sky Sport have reported that Chelsea did discuss bringing in Kovac after Maresca left.

The two clubs aren’t strangers to each other either. In 2025, another deal was completed between the two sides.

Dortmund brought in Carney Chukwuemeka last summer and also took Aaron Anselmino on loan.

With Chelsea in need of defensive reinforcements, some fans are already suggesting that Anselmino should be brought back into Rosenior’s plans sooner rather than later.

How Niko Kovac’s resume compares to Liam Rosenior’s

There’s no question that Kovac would have been a safer choice than Rosenior. With far more experience, especially in Germany, Kovac has a proven track record of success.

Kovac won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich during the 2018/19 season and also picked up the DFB-Pokal that year, a trophy he’d previously claimed while managing Eintracht Frankfurt.

Rosenior, by comparison, hasn’t secured any major trophies yet. But at 41, he’s still early in his managerial career and hasn’t had many opportunities to build up his CV.

This could be the season where things change for him. Chelsea aren’t expected to challenge for the league title or Champions League, but there could be opportunities in cup competitions like the FA Cup or League Cup to pick up some silverware.