President of the French club threatens to resign if the coach moves to Chelsea

The president of Strasbourg has issued a firm warning to the Blue&Co owners, stating he could step down if Coach Rosenior transfers to Chelsea.

Chelsea has been the center of attention in early 2026 after unexpectedly dismissing Coach Enzo Maresca, who had helped secure their Champions League spot last season and won two trophies. The replacement target is Liam Rosenior, the coach of Strasbourg.

Since both Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by Blue&Co, the transfer was anticipated to be smooth and quick. However, the current president of the French club, Marc Keller, has opposed this decision.

Mr. Keller does not want Liam Rosenior to leave Strasbourg for Chelsea in the middle of the season. He has clearly stated his position, and negotiations with the club's owner, Iranian-American billionaire Behdad Eghbali, are ongoing. Keller wants Rosenior to stay at least until the end of the 2025/26 season.

However, Keller's intervention is believed insufficient to change the minds of Blue&Co’s owners. If Rosenior departs in the coming days, Keller may consider resigning.

Since the change of ownership, conflicts between Keller and Behdad Eghbali over the club’s development direction have intensified. The potential transfer of Rosenior, who is currently leading Strasbourg impressively, to Chelsea at any moment is seen as a sign of disrespect towards the French club.

Marc Keller has held the Strasbourg presidency for 13 years and is highly respected by the club’s fanbase. He acts as a mediator between Blue&Co and the club’s Ultras. If Keller resigns, Blue&Co is expected to face further challenges related to fan protests.

Blue&Co’s, led by Behdad Eghbali, deep involvement in the internal affairs of their clubs has become a contentious issue. This is considered the main reason behind the breakdown of relations with Enzo Maresca.

The former Leicester coach wanted greater control over player usage and rotation. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s leadership believes decisions regarding training load, fitness management, and player welfare should be made independently, not entirely dependent on the head coach.

These conflicting views caused a rift between the parties, combined with Chelsea’s recent poor performance, leading the owners to decide to dismiss Maresca.

This decision affects not only Chelsea directly but could also force another Blue&Co club, Strasbourg, to pay the price. If President Keller resigns and Coach Rosenior moves to Chelsea, the French club could face a crisis even bigger than Chelsea’s.

Clearly, Maresca’s dismissal is creating unpredictable consequences within Blue&Co’s football operations and for President Eghbali.