Salomon Kalou and William Gallas Sidestep John Terry But Agree on Chelsea Legend to Replace Enzo Maresca

Following the sacking of Enzo Maresca from Chelsea on New Year’s Day, a number of candidates have emerged as possible replacements for the Italian at Stamford Bridge.

The name of Liam Rosenior has featured prominently with bookmakers making him favourite to land the high-pressure job following the brilliant work he has done with French Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.

Rosenior is seen as the man who ticks most boxes for what the powers that be at Chelsea are looking for. A young, progressive, articulate and ambitious coach who will align with the various centres of power at the club.

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There are other candidates like Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Roberto De Zerbi of Marseille and Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace, all who have Premier League experience.

However, there are those who feel a former Chelsea player should land the role and this list of candidates includes Cesc Fabregas, currently impressing at Como in Italy, Frank Lampard of Championship high-flyers Coventry and legendary captain John Terry who works with the club’s U18s.

According to former Chelsea stars William Gallas and Salomon Kalou, none of the candidates come close to Lampard who they feel should return for the third time as Chelsea coach given what he has done at Coventry, turning the club from relegation candidates last season to promotion favourites this term.

"Frank Lampard would be a great choice. He understands the club, the expectations, and the culture. He knows what it means to wear that shirt," Kalou told Duelbits.

"But I also think Andoni Iraola is a strong candidate. His teams play with intensity, organisation, and clear identity. Chelsea need a coach who can bring stability and a long-term plan, and both of those names make sense,” added the former striker, who spent six years at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, ex-Chelsea defender Gallas is also backing Lampard, the club’s all-time top scorer to make a major success of the job this time.

"After what happened to Frank Lampard, we had to be patient. He is doing well right now with Coventry City, if he can give them the chance to get into the Premier League that would be the best thing for him,” Gallas said as quoted by the Mirror.

Lampard had his first stint as Chelsea coach from 2019-2021, leading them to a top four finish in 2020, before he was sacked after a poor run the following season, and returned in early 2023 as caretaker after the dismissal of Graham Potter but he experienced a torrid spell.