Calum McFarlane Takes Charge for Chelsea Against Manchester City

Calum McFarlane, head coach of Chelsea’s Under-21 team, will assume management for the upcoming Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday. This appointment comes as Chelsea works to secure a successor to Enzo Maresca, who departed the club on New Year’s Day.

Previously part of Manchester City’s academy coaching staff, McFarlane will also lead the press conference on Friday ahead of the match against his former club. Notably, Maresca’s exit has positioned Liam Rosenior, currently managing Strasbourg, as the frontrunner for the vacant managerial role at Chelsea.

Although McFarlane has not yet managed a senior professional football match, he is in his inaugural season as the academy coach at Chelsea, having transitioned from Southampton in the summer. Under his leadership, the Under-21 team has achieved a fourth place in Premier League 2 after nine matches.

Having joined Chelsea after a two-year tenure overseeing Southampton’s Under-21s, McFarlane has a background in elite youth development, sharing connections with Chelsea’s academy technical director, Glenn van de Kraan, who also formerly worked at Manchester City.

McFarlane’s early performance at Chelsea has garnered commendations from youth players. He has successfully led his team to the top of the league standings in the UEFA Youth League, securing victories against prominent clubs including Barcelona, Benfica, Bayern Munich, and Ajax. His Under-21 squad is the youngest in the Premier League 2 division and currently ranks fourth in the table.

In stark contrast to McFarlane’s experience, Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, will be managing his 1,012th game on Saturday, having previously overseen 561 matches at City alone. Guardiola boasts an impressive win rate of 71.6%, while McFarlane, with 33 wins from 75 games across youth levels, holds a win rate of 44%.