Chelsea will again enter the match against Liverpool with an interim coach on the coaching bench. This is reminiscent of 2023, when Bruno Saltor led the team in a 0-0 draw with The Kop after Graham Potter was sacked. This time, the person taking on that role is Calum McFarlane - the latest sign showing the prolonged chaos at Stamford Bridge under BlueCo.
In the 4 years since Clearlake Capital and BlueCo took over Chelsea, the number of coaches leading the team has equaled the total number of Liverpool strategists used since the early 2000s. That is a statistic clearly reflecting the instability at the upper echelons of the London team.
After sacking Enzo Maresca, Chelsea continued to cause controversy when they placed their trust in Liam Rosenior - a coach with almost no experience in the Premier League. That gamble quickly failed. And then they continued to empower Calum McFarlane, an even less experienced name.
That chaos has made The Blues increasingly lose their appeal to top coaches. Thomas Tuchel - who helped the club win the Champions League - was quickly sacked. Graham Potter and Rosenior both could not meet expectations. Mauricio Pochettino left after only one season, and Maresca finally left the team amid increasing internal conflicts.
What is worrying for Chelsea is not only their achievements on the pitch, but also their image in the eyes of the coaching staff. Stories of interference from the board of directors, inconsistent transfer strategies and unstable working environments are making many top coaches wary of Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea currently faces a series of problems, from a bulky squad, lack of identity, disoriented dressing rooms to the risk of not being able to participate in the Champions League for the third time in 4 years. Despite possessing expensive players, they still continuously play below expectations.
In that context, many names have been linked to the hot seat at Stamford Bridge. Cesc Fabregas is a favorite choice, but the possibility of leaving Como to go to Chelsea is very low as he is building a promising project in Serie A.
Xabi Alonso is also mentioned, but the Spanish strategist is said to have more attractive options, especially after the success with Bayer Leverkusen. Similarly, Andoni Iraola has a suitable environment at Bournemouth and is unlikely to be convinced by the chaos at Chelsea.
Oliver Glasner or Marco Silva are considered more practical options. In particular, Silva has experience in the Premier League and is considered a suitable coach model for Chelsea's current situation.
In addition, Xavi Hernandez has also emerged as a potential candidate. However, even with the captain who once won La Liga with Barcelona, The Blues are no longer an absolutely attractive destination as before.
One of the strongest critics of BlueCo's management model is Jurgen Klopp. The former Liverpool coach once declared that he "could not last a year" if working under Chelsea's current structure.
That is probably the biggest problem for the Stamford Bridge team at this time. Not only is it about finding the right coach, but they also have to convince those strategists that Chelsea is still a place worth betting on their career future.
