Chelsea Sack Rosenior: Could Blues Still Qualify for Champions League Next Season?
- Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Liam Rosenior after a run of five Premier League games without a win
- The Blues hierarchy believes it was the best decision to save the rest of the season with five league matches left to play
- Interim manager Calum McFarlane will lead the team to try to qualify for the Champions League and win the FA Cup
Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Liam Rosenior after a poor run of results, which included five Premier League matches without a win or a goal.
Rosenior took over the team in January after former manager Enzo Maresca resigned on New Year's Day, after his relationship with the club broke down.
Source: Getty Images
Chelsea's statement to dismiss Rosenior, confirmed that Calum McFarlane will take over as interim, with the primary objective of qualifying for European football and progressing in the FA Cup.
The team currently sit eight, seven points behind the Champions League spot and will face Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-final this weekend.
Legit.ng looks at the chances of achieving their objectives in the final weeks of the season.
Will Chelsea qualify for UCL?
The Premier League will have five slots in the UEFA Champions League next season after the league finished in the top two in the coefficient rankings.
Liverpool currently occupies the fifth position with 55 points, while Chelsea has 48 points and has four matches left to play to salvage the situation.
The world champions have home games against Nottingham Forest and London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and away games against Liverpool and Sunderland.
Chelsea must win all four matches, secure the maximum 12 points and hope that the results of other teams competing with them favour them.
The Blues defeated Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in the first leg and also beat Tottenham 1-0 in London under Enzo Maresca, and have to repeat both results at home.
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Estevao Willian’s late strike helped the Blues beat Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, but they lost 2-1 at home to Sunderland in the first leg.
Their first leg performance against these teams, except Sunderland, suggests they could secure maximum points, but facing them under a different manager says otherwise.
According to The Analyst, Opta's supercomputer gives Chelsea a 1.39% chance of securing Champions League football next season at their current momentum.
Source: Getty Images
The UEFA Europa League and Europa Conference League, two competitions Chelsea have won in the past, appear to be their best attempt at qualifying for European football.
Another season without European football will plunge the finances further after the club recently announced a loss of over £200 million.
This would also cost them the chance of hiring a top manager, signing top managers and securing a front-of-shirt sponsor.
How Aston Villa could help Chelsea
Legit.ng previously reported how Aston Villa could help Chelsea qualify for next season’s Champions League as the Blues’ chances fade.
If Aston Villa wins the UEFA Europa League and finishes fifth on the Premier League table, the sixth-place team in the English league will get UCL football.
Source: Legit.ng
