Cloudy skies with periods of rain this afternoon. High 58F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 54F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Updated: January 2, 2026 @ 9:33 am
LONDON (AP) — Calum McFarlane said he's had a “whirlwind” 24 hours at Chelsea since being elevated from Under-21s coach to interim manager and then tasked with facing Pep Guardiola and Manchester City on Sunday.
The Englishman was put in charge while Chelsea finds a replacement for Enzo Maresca. McFarlane led team training Friday after his security pass was upgraded so he could access the first-team building.
“It’s been a crazy 24 hours, a whirlwind as you can imagine, but it’s also been really enjoyable and exciting,” McFarlane said.
The London club announced on Thursday that Maresca left his position as manager — following a reported deterioration in his relationship with the team’s hierarchy.
Liam Rosenior, who coaches French team Strasbourg — a club in the same ownership group as Chelsea, has been reported to be a leading contender for the job.
On Sunday, though, McFarlane will lead the Blues at Etihad Stadium against a manager who has surpassed the 1,000-game mark in charge.
“The energy and enthusiasm in training was exceptional today,” said McFarlane, who worked in City's academy in the 2020-21 season before moving to Southampton and then Chelsea. “They seem really focused, they’re really driven, hungry. They know we’ve got a massive game on Sunday, and were going to have to be at our best.”
Chelsea starts the second half of the Premier League season in fifth place. The Blues are three points back of fourth-place Liverpool but also just three points ahead of 11th-place Fulham.
The game at City is the first of nine matches for Chelsea this month in all competitions.
Chelsea is seeking a fifth full-time manager since the takeover of the club by American investors, fronted by Todd Boehly, in May 2022.
Maresca was in charge for 18 months and won the Conference League and Club World Cup in his first season at Chelsea.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Discover India with Us! Read moreIndia Community Travel: Virtual Information Session
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Navigating Senior Care, Estate Planning, & Funeral Planning Read morePeace of Mind with a Piece of Cake
Karl Sonkin said:
Love the column Mark, memories of Caen resplendent
Connie Weiss said:
Thank you, Taso. So perfectly stated.
Mark Simon said:
Thanks and all the best for you and your family.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.