Chelsea’s interim coach says players ’really focused’ on Man City after Maresca exit

Calum McFarlane mentioned he is had a “whirlwind” 24 hours at Chelsea since being elevated from Beneath-21s coach to interim supervisor after which tasked with dealing with Pep Guardiola and Manchester Metropolis on Sunday (January 4, 2026).

The Englishman was put in cost whereas Chelsea finds a substitute for Enzo Maresca. McFarlane led group coaching Friday after his safety move was upgraded so he may entry the first-team constructing.

“It’s been a loopy 24 hours, a whirlwind as you’ll be able to think about, but it surely’s additionally been actually pleasant and thrilling,” McFarlane mentioned.

The London membership introduced on Thursday that Maresca left his place as supervisor — following a reported deterioration in his relationship with the group’s hierarchy.

Liam Rosenior, who coaches French group Strasbourg — a membership in the identical possession group as Chelsea, has been reported to be a number one contender for the job.

On Sunday, although, McFarlane will lead the Blues at Etihad Stadium in opposition to a supervisor who has surpassed the 1,000-game mark in cost.

“The power and enthusiasm in coaching was distinctive right this moment,” mentioned McFarlane, who labored in Metropolis’s academy within the 2020-21 season earlier than shifting to Southampton after which Chelsea. “They appear actually targeted, they’re actually pushed, hungry. They know we’ve obtained an enormous sport on Sunday, and had been going to should be at our greatest.”

Chelsea begins the second half of the Premier League season in fifth place. The Blues are three factors again of fourth-place Liverpool but additionally simply three factors forward of Eleventh-place Fulham.

The sport at Metropolis is the primary of 9 matches for Chelsea this month in all competitions.

Chelsea is in search of a fifth full-time supervisor because the takeover of the membership by American buyers, fronted by Todd Boehly, in Could 2022.

Maresca was in cost for 18 months and received the Convention League and Membership World Cup in his first season at Chelsea.