John Terry has criticised Chelsea's owners for not appointing him as temporary manager after the club sacked Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. Instead, Chelsea turned to U21 boss Calum McFarlane on both occasions.
Terry's reaction to being overlooked
Speaking on World Cup Uncensored with Piers Morgan, Terry described the decision as 'borderline offensive'. Morgan said: 'When Rosenior was made the manager of Chelsea, the idea that he would do a better job for Chelsea than you, with all your experience and the fact that blue blood runs through your veins, I thought that it was borderline offensive.'
Terry agreed: 'Piers, you are 100% spot on. I've never thought that I could be Chelsea manager. But when an opportunity comes up and a manager leaves, the football club and Chelsea are looking for an interim manager, there was no one in the building that was more qualified than me in terms of their qualifications.'
McFarlane's tenure in charge
McFarlane first took over after Maresca left in January, managing only two games, including a spirited draw against Manchester City. After Rosenior was sacked in April, McFarlane oversaw four league matches and an FA Cup final, which Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester City.
Terry added: 'More importantly, and above all of that, whether it was for one game or two games, there was no one more Chelsea than me. Now, did I think that I deserve the Chelsea manager long term? Absolutely not. Because Chelsea is way bigger than me. If I want to go into that, I need to go on my journey and eventually get the Chelsea job.'
Terry's credentials and coaching background
Terry is one of Chelsea's greatest ever players, with over 700 appearances, five Premier League titles, the Champions League, and eight domestic cups in 19 years at Stamford Bridge. The 45-year-old former England defender has held coaching roles at Aston Villa and Leicester City and has been involved in Chelsea's academy since 2023.
Criticism of opportunities for English managers
Terry also argued that English managers are not given top jobs: 'I don't think the opportunities are given to the English managers. I just don't feel we've ever been given the top managerial jobs, with top budgets at a top football club. Frank Lampard was in at Chelsea, but he didn't have the budget that Jose Mourinho had. It was a time when we couldn't sign players. Eddie Howe, before Tuchel got the England job, was probably favourite for the England manager's job, done very well with Newcastle but then didn't get a look in in terms of England.'
Xabi Alonso appointed as permanent manager
Shortly after sacking Rosenior, Chelsea appointed former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso on a four-year contract. Alonso, sacked after a short spell at Real Madrid in January, officially takes over from July 1. He inherits a Chelsea side that finished 10th in the Premier League last season, failing to qualify for European competition.
