Liam Rosenior is working at a top club for the first time and in the Premier League for the first time—yet Chelsea FC has given the coach a six-and-a-half-year contract. Why?
Contract terms in professional soccer are not much more meaningful than trial game results. A certain trend can be seen, but when it comes down to it, they don’t really matter. However, Chelsea FC’s contract practices regularly cause a stir.
The latest chapter: When the Blues presented Liam Rosenior as their new head coach on Tuesday, they announced a contract term until summer 2032. The 41-year-old, who has never coached a top club and has only worked in England’s second division so far, was thus signed for six and a half years.
Expiring contracts at Chelsea: zero
This has long been the norm since Todd Boehly and his investment group BlueCo took charge at Stamford Bridge. Most of the squad are under contract until at least 2030, with Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Estevao, and Dario Essugo even tied until 2033. Not a single contract expires in the summer. And it has long been known why the new owners took this approach from the outset: while transfer income can be booked immediately, Premier League clubs could spread transfer expenses over the duration of the contracts in their books – perfect when trouble with financial fair play rules loomed once again.
However, UEFA closed this loophole over two years ago, and since then, transfer write-offs have only been allowed for a maximum of five years, regardless of the contract term. What’s more, Rosenior, who came from partner club Racing Strasbourg, is unlikely to have cost anything, or at least not a significant transfer fee.
So why this XXL contract for a coach who has yet to prove himself on the big stage? Chelsea bosses have not yet explained their approach, but it stands to reason that financial considerations also play a role here. Signing players or coaches to long-term contracts at the beginning of their careers not only conveys continuity, but also means that the club does not have to deal with constant renegotiations should they take off – a casual reference to the term of the contract is sufficient. And those who are determined to leave will simply become expensive.
The biggest concern that often accompanies long coaching contracts is usually unfounded anyway: Chelsea will have included clauses in Roseniors contract that allow for early termination on financially acceptable terms. Just as his predecessor Enzo Maresca is not entitled to his full remaining salary since he was dismissed on New Year’s Day. Incidentally, his contract term was similarly substantial: five years plus an option for another. He actually remained in office for one and a half of those years.
