Liam Rosenior is rebuilding his coaching reputation at Paris FC, five months after leaving Chelsea following a difficult 106-day spell at Stamford Bridge.
The 41-year-old has largely avoided public comment since his departure and is instead working at one of European football’s most ambitious new projects. His only major controversy came after Paris FC’s 2-1 win over former club Strasbourg before the international break, when his fist-pumping celebrations angered supporters in the away end and led to an on-pitch confrontation between players.
Paris FC has been owned since November 2024 by the family of Bernard Arnault, France’s richest man and founder of LVMH, whose brands include Dior, Louis Vuitton and Moet & Chandon. The family’s estimated £113bn fortune dwarfs that of most individual Premier League owners.
Red Bull have also taken a stake, while Pierre Ferracci, the club’s president since 2006, has remained in place to provide continuity. Paris FC returned to France’s top flight in 2025 after a 46-year absence and appointed Marco Neppe, who spent 10 years in recruitment roles at Bayern Munich, as sporting director.
The club’s net spending across the past three transfer windows is close to £130m, with much of that invested in young players with room to improve. Rosenior’s record of developing talent at Strasbourg, Chelsea’s sister club, made him a natural fit after he guided them to seventh in his only full season across 18 months.
Paris FC are third in Ligue 1, unbeaten after five matches and three points and three places above neighbours Paris Saint-Germain, the Qatari-owned back-to-back European champions.
Rosenior’s standing suffered in England, first because of his use of corporate jargon during television interviews and later because of results at Chelsea. In France, however, his coaching ability is viewed more positively. Like Graham Potter, he has moved to a league where he feels valued and can work in a calmer, more stable environment.
Potter spent almost two years away from management after Chelsea and a nine-month spell at West Ham before returning to Sweden, where he had established himself during seven successful years at Ostersunds. As Sweden manager, he revived their World Cup campaign, secured qualification through the play-offs and won three of four Nations League matches during the latest international break.
Ian Cathro offers another example. The 40-year-old Scot, dismissed by Hearts after seven months in 2017, is top of France’s second tier with St Etienne after spells at Estoril. He previously worked with Nuno Espirito Santo, beginning at Rio Ave in Portugal in 2012.
St Etienne have been owned since 2024 by Kilmer Sports Ventures, with former Arsenal executives Ivan Gazidis and Huss Fahmy in senior roles. Cathro speaks Portuguese fluently and now conducts press conferences in French.
Language has also helped Rosenior, whose French is sufficient to communicate with players and staff and understand abuse from Strasbourg supporters. Potter speaks Swedish and told Daily Mail Sport that he sometimes feels Swedish.
Other British coaches working abroad include Will Still at Auxerre, Ed Still at La Louviere, Lee Johnson at Lommel, Mick Beale at Zulte Waregem, Dean Smith at Charlotte, Matt Wells at Colorado, Brendan Rodgers at Al-Qadsiah, Des Buckingham at Al-Kholood and Jonjo Shelvey in the UAE second tier.
Stuart Baxter, 73, is in a second spell at Halmstad, while Stephen Constantine, 63, has returned to Rwanda. British coaches remain scattered worldwide, though opportunities in Europe’s top five leagues are limited. There are four in the Premier League: Frank Lampard, Gary O’Neil, David Moyes and Michael Carrick.
Rosenior, by contrast, appears to be in a strong position to continue rebuilding his career.
