Porto boss Francesco Farioli responds to Chelsea rumours

Francesco Farioli has distanced from recent rumours linking him with the vacant Chelsea job, insisting he remains ‘really happy’ at Porto.

Chelsea find themselves without a permanent head coach once again following Liam Rosenior’s dismissal, with Calum McFarlane taking over the reins on a temporary basis for the second time in the space of just four months.

Results had spiralled towards the end of Rosenior’s tenure and a humbling 3-0 defeat away to Brighton – the club’s fifth loss in as many games – proved the final straw for Stamford Bridge bosses.

After picking up the pieces, McFarlane steered to a 1-0 victory over Leeds in Sunday’s gritty FA Cup semi-final at Wembley – and the 40-year-old is expected to lead the side out again in this year’s showpiece event against Manchester City on May 16.

But Chelsea’s hierarchy are eager to secure a deal for Rosenior’s full-time replacement sooner rather than later and Porto manager Farioli has emerged as one of the many candidates reportedly being considered in west London.

Farioli took charge of Porto after leaving Ajax last summer and the 37-year-old is enjoying an eye-catching debut season in Portugal, with Porto sitting seven points clear of Benfica at the top of the Primeira Liga table.

With only three games remaining of Porto’s campaign, mounting speculation surrounding Farioli’s future has threatened to disrupt the club’s title charge.

Facing the media after a 2-1 victory over Estrela on Sunday, though, the Italian made it clear he remained fully focussed on the task at hand at Porto.

‘I’m the coach of Porto and I’m really happy to be here,’ Farioli told sport tv when asked about the Chelsea links, before making a swift exit from the post-match interview.

Farioli will hope to further quieten any doubts over his commitment to top-of-the-table Porto next weekend when his side play host to Alverca at the Estadio do Dragao.

The likes of Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Cesc Fabregas also find themselves among the names being linked to Chelsea, though the latter appears in a similar camp to Farioli having underlined his commitment to Como last week.

Frank Lampard has been viewed as another possible candidate for the Blues having twice managed the club, most recently as caretaker following Graham Potter’s sacking towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

But according to Joe Cole, Lampard should steer clear of Stamford Bridge and remain with Coventry City, who will be playing Premier League football again after a 25-year absence next season.

‘Frank should stay away from it [the Chelsea job]. The temptation for Frank, because he loves the club, would be to come back and give it another whirl,’ the ex-Chelsea and England winger told Paddy Power.

‘He’s done a fantastic job at Coventry. Nobody would have backed Coventry for promotion at the start of the season.

‘He’s got a real challenge to keep them in the league next season.’

Cole added: ‘All his focus and mental energy should be about recruitment,’ he added.

‘He could be identifying five, six, seven players he wants [for Coventry].

‘If I were him, I wouldn’t go to Chelsea. In any job, you’re being judged on results, but at Chelsea, you don’t have full control over what you can do. That’s insane.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.