The two Chelsea omens which excite Liam Rosenior ahead of Champions League bow

As befuddling as Chelsea’s parting with Enzo Maresca seemed when the statement arrived on New Year’s Day, there’s something about mid-season changes at Stamford Bridge which should give fans, and new boss Liam Rosenior, cause for dreamy enthusiasm.

In fact, the revolving door of the head coach hotseat, that unshakable new manager bounce, has given Chelsea their most glorious moments on the European stage. Five years ago, it was Thomas Tuchel who replaced Frank Lampard in January and, amid the silent hum of the Covid era, guided the Blues to an improbable second Champions League title in Porto.

Before that, it was 2012, when Roberto Di Matteo galvanised an ageing squad for a series of dramatic nights under the lights to, against all odds, capture that long-awaited first Champions League trophy. That year, the choice to replace Andre Villas-Boas didn’t come until February but the remarkable turnaround in mood, and obviously results, was unambiguous.

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Of course, there is some way to go before Chelsea fans can start plotting their route to Budapest in May. But the omens and the narrative are clear as day. And they are not lost on Rosenior, ahead of his debut in the competition on Wednesday night against Cypriot side Pafos.

“Hopefully third time lucky!” he remarked, before the inevitable dose of reality. “You're not lucky to win a Champions League.

“I've said to the players, if we focus on each game, not think too far ahead, perform as well as we possibly can, I never limit the ambitions of my group, no matter what group I'm working with.

“But those games and those trophies don't exist if you don't do the job now. We have to focus on this game and hopefully another three points puts us closer to that target.”

Rosenior can take plenty of solace from not only Chelsea’s impressive home results in Europe this season – wins against Barcelona, Ajax and Benfica – but also his own impressive start to 2025-26 on the continent.

As Strasbourg boss, he guided the French side to top spot in the Europa Conference League table, winning five and drawing one of their six games; one of only two unbeaten teams in that competition. Yet now, focus is on the top-tier.

“I think your dream is whether you're a player or a coach or a manager is to be at the very top of the game – the Champions League is a signal of that,” he noted.

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“It's not about me. It's not about me or my ambitions. I'm proud to be here, like I've said before. My focus is on winning the game. My focus is on being successful here. So, I'm preparing the game like we would for any game, to make sure we put in the best performance, to give us the best chance of winning the game.”

Rosenior’s men could be without star midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who has been struck down by illness. Tosin Adarabioyo is also out but Estevao, Malo Gusto and Jamie Gittens are back in contention.

Much was made when the schedule was concocted back in September of how the game against Pafos – who have performed admirably on their Champions League debut, with one win, three draws and two losses from their six games – would set the scene for a poignant return to west London for David Luiz, twice of this parish. Yet the 38-year-old Brazilian defender sustained an injury over the weekend and is a doubt for Wednesday’s game.

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Luiz was instrumental in 2012, scoring a penalty in the final shoot-out win against Bayern Munich. That mid-season change worked, but some have obviously failed: Frank Lampard’s caretaker spell in 2023 saw Chelsea knocked out to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, while Guus Hiddink’s two temporary spells in 2009 and 2016 resulted in a semi-final (that Barcelona game) and last-16 exits.

Phase one is clear, though. A win on Wednesday – and a positive result at Napoli next week – could see Chelsea through in the top-eight, without the added hassle of a February play-off match. For Rosenior, someone who’s made no secret of craving any minute on the practice pitch, it would be a massive early tick in his tenure.

“It would be optimal,” he said of a top-eight finish. “It would be great. Especially when you're a new manager coming in, you want those training days so you can imprint a little bit more.

“But we need to go out and perform really, really well and not think too much about how important it is to miss out on games. The most important thing is qualifying.”