Chelsea Deserves the Champions League, and Racial Abuse is Unacceptable

Liam Rosenior, the head coach of Chelsea, confirmed the readiness of his players for the highly anticipated match against Arsenal in the English Premier League. He emphasized the improvement in the physical condition of several players, notably Reece James and Lavia, ahead of the match scheduled to be held at the Emirates Stadium as part of the 28th round of the 2025/2026 season.

During the press conference before the match, Rosinior said: “Estevao will be out for a little longer, Jamie Jettins is progressing in his rehabilitation program, while Cucurella is unavailable for Sunday’s match, and Dario Isugo has also returned to training.”

The Chelsea coach addressed the incident of Fofana being subjected to racial abuse, saying: “It was a tough day for the player. What happened in the match and online with the racial abuse affects you in ways that shouldn’t exist. It’s something we need to try to eradicate from life.”

He added: “We want every player, including Cole Palmer, to be at their best and in peak physical condition. Fans pay a lot of money to watch us, and when we talk about the Club World Cup, the match schedule was tough on the players, but I don’t think any of them regret that experience.”

Rosenior emphasized the team’s ambitions by saying: “Chelsea should be in the Champions League, this club is qualified for the competition, and when I took charge, we were in eighth place, and now we are in the competitive circle.”

Regarding the left-wing options, he said: “Jimmy showed very promising signs before his injury against West Ham, and Garna also showed encouraging signs. There are many tactical aspects involved; it’s not just about these players, but about finding the right roles for the team.”

He concluded his remarks by saying: “Every coach conducts continuous evaluations all the time, and I am getting to know my team, their strengths, and what they need to improve. There will be moments when we are under pressure, and I need to know which players can maintain their calm and composure in those challenging moments.”