Porto boss Francesco Farioli issues emotional response to Chelsea links

Tom Weber

• 3 Jan 2026 11:30 CST
• 3 min read

News

Porto boss Francesco Farioli has issued an emotional response to the rumours that he is among the candidates for the Chelsea job.

The Blues are in the market for a new head coach following the acrimonious departure of Enzo Maresca on Thursday. The Italian walked away from the job, but Chelsea were also ready to sack him, ultimately resulting in a mutual parting of ways.

Various grievances from both parties resulted in major tension behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge and made Maresca's position untenable. He is now among the favourites to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City if and when the Spaniard decides to leave his post.

As for Chelsea, they are expected to pursue the in-house solution of appointing Liam Rosenior, currently in charge of BlueCo sister club Strasbourg in Ligue 1. Talks over his hire are said to be advanced, but he won't arrive in time for Sunday's clash with Man City.

Rosenior is the favourite from a small circle of contenders. Other names to be linked with the job are Roberto de Zerbi and Cesc Fabregas, but this supposed interest was already downplayed the day Maresca left, as well as Porto head coach Francesco Farioli.

Farioli issues strong Chelsea response

Speaking ahead of Porto's clash with Santa Clara, Farioli has now issued a quite remarkable response to the Chelsea rumours. The Italian emphatically dismissed the speculation with an ode to his league-leading side.

"There is no doubt [that I'm staying] and there has never been any doubt about that," Farioli said. "If I look back at my previous experiences, at Nice and last season at Ajax, for me, leaving in the middle of a process has never been a topic. It is not something that stays in my mind.

"Here in Porto, I truly believe that there is also something more, something deeper, in terms of connection and relationship with the president [Andre Villas-Boas] and with the club. From my side, I am totally committed to the club and totally connected to the reality we are living in.

"Because maybe here for the first time in my life, I have the feeling that you can try to add something on top of a strong foundation, to build the first floor and keep building something over time.

"I am really grateful to the people who gave me the opportunity to lead a club of this dimension, and all the other things are not a topic at all. They are just noise, noise that doesn’t even reach my head, not even close."

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