Chelsea Under-21s Coach Calum McFarlane to Lead Against Manchester City

Chelsea Under-21s Coach Calum McFarlane to Lead Against Manchester City

Chelsea Under-21s Coach Calum McFarlane to Lead Against Manchester City

Chelsea Under-21 head coach Calum McFarlane will lead the team in Sunday’s Premier League match against Manchester City, as the club seeks a successor for Enzo Maresca.

McFarlane, who previously served on the coaching staff at Manchester City’s academy, is also scheduled to address the media at Friday’s press conference prior to facing his former club.

Maresca and his coaching staff departed from Chelsea on New Year’s Day, with Liam Rosenior, currently managing Strasbourg, emerging as the frontrunner for the role.

This will be McFarlane’s first experience managing a senior professional football match. He is in his inaugural season as Chelsea’s academy coach after joining from Southampton in the summer and has successfully guided the Under-21 team to fourth place in Premier League 2 following nine matches.

Before arriving at Chelsea, McFarlane spent two years managing Southampton’s Under-21s and, like prominent recruiter Joe Shields, has a background in Manchester City’s academy. He became acquainted with Chelsea’s academy technical director, Glenn van de Kraan, during his four years at the Etihad, where van de Kraan was appointed from in 2024.

McFarlane has made a notable impact at Chelsea, receiving accolades from youth players and steering his team to first place in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League, achieving victories over prestigious clubs such as Barcelona, Benfica, Bayern Munich, and Ajax. His team, the youngest in the Premier League 2 Under-21 division, currently sits fourth in the standings.

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