Chelsea are searching for a new permanent manager (yet again) after they sacked Liam Rosenior following a rotten run of five straight Premier League defeats without scoring a single goal.
In a club statement, Chelsea said:
“This has not been a decision the Club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future.”
The club also confirmed that Calum McFarlane will take charge as interim head coach until the end of the season, starting with Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.
While Chelsea fans digest the news of another managerial exit, attention will swiftly shift to who could be in the Blues’ dugout come the start of the 2026–27 season.
We’ve taken a look at the latest odds to see who is in contention.
Chelsea manager odds for the first game of 2026-27 season
| Manager | Sky Bet Odds |
|---|---|
| Filipe Luis | 13/8 |
| Andoni Iraola | 2/1 |
| Cesc Fabregas | 10/3 |
| Oliver Glasner | 5/1 |
| Xavi | 15/2 |
| Marco Silva | 9/1 |
| Unai Emery | 14/1 |
| Frank Lampard | 14/1 |
| Xabi Alonso | 16/1 |
| Fabian Hurzeler | 16/1 |
| You have to be 18+ to gamble. UK only. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (22/04/2026). Be Gamble Aware. |
Filipe Luis
Filipe Luis has emerged as the early frontrunner for the permanent Chelsea job at 13/8 with Sky Bet.
The former left-back featured 15 times for the Blues during their Premier League and League Cup double-winning 2014-15 season.
The Brazilian began his coaching journey nearly 10 years later in 2024 with Flamengo’s U17 side before quickly earning promotion to the U20s. By September that year, he had already stepped up to become head coach of the senior team and enjoyed stunning success, securing seven trophies, including the 2025 Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Serie A title. Despite that run, he was dismissed in March (2026) just hours after overseeing an 8-0 victory.
Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola already appears to be in high-demand following the news that he will leave Bournemouth this summer.
The Spaniard has made a huge imprint since his surprise appointment three years ago and currently has the Cherries right in contention to finish in one of the European places.
In the instant aftermath of Rosenior’s sacking, Iraola’s odds were trimmed from 10/1 into 2/1.
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas is another former Chelsea player in the upper echelon of the betting at 10/3. The Spaniard, who helped Chelsea win five trophies including two Premier League titles, is no doubt on the radar of clubs all over Europe thanks to his impressive work at current club Como.
Fabregas got a first-hand taste of how elite managers operate during his playing days under the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Arsenal Wenger. He officially stepped into the managerial arena with Italian side Como in the summer of 2024 – following a brief six game spell as interim manager in 2023-24 – and in his first season led the club to 10th in Serie A – their best finish in 28 years – and has followed that up by firing his troops into 5th place at the time of writing.
Given his strong connection with Chelsea, Fabregas would likely prove a popular choice among supporters if he returned to Stamford Bridge as manager.
Oliver Glasner
Oliver Glasner is next in the running at 5/1. Crystal Palace’s FA Cup winning manager is set to leave the club in the summer and could do so on the back of Conference League glory with the Eagles, who are through to the semi-finals and the favourites to win the competition.
Glasner has already tasted success in Europe, having led Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2021-22, which earnt the club Champions League football for the first time since 1960.
Glasner has been linked with a move to Manchester United (8/1), features in the next Newcastle (6/1) and Liverpool (9/1) manager markets, and could even be an option for Celtic this summer.
Anyone else?
When it comes to out-of-work managers, there’s former Barcelona boss Xavi at 15/2, ex-Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso at 16/1, and three-time Champions League winner Zinedine Zidane is at 33/1 long shot.
If Chelsea were to look within the Premier League, there’s Fulham’s Marco Silva at 9/1, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery at 14/1, and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler at 16/1.
A third Blues spell for Frank Lampard, who is returning to the Premier League with Coventry, can be backed at 14/1.
Finally, let’s not completely rule out Jose Mourinho at 40/1…
