RC Strasbourg host Lyon in an integral Ligue 1 clash regarding the Champions League race this upcoming Friday night. After going into financial liquidation 15 years ago, the club, which sits on the German border, rose from the fifth tier, arriving back in Ligue 1 in 2017/18. A League Cup win in 2019 meant that the Alsace side were given a taste of European action in 2019/20, but that ended prematurely after being knocked out by Eintracht Frankfurt in a qualifying tie.

After missing out on European action by three points in 2021/22, Strasbourg are still searching for a first proper appearance in UEFA competition since they reached the UEFA Cup (Europa League) round of 16 in 2005/06. Two lowly league placements in the last two seasons led to the club appointing former Brighton, Derby, and Hull coach Liam Rosenior, giving the 40-year-old Englishman his first job outside of his home country. A decision that has led to Strasbourg being four points off a Champions League spot with eight Ligue 1 games left to go.

Rosenior’s History in the English Game

As a player, Rosenior made over 200 appearances in the second tier and 141 in the Premier League. His last top-flight cap came in September 2017, playing for Brighton and Hove Albion in their debut Premier League season. After retiring in 2018, he spent some time as a U23 coach in Brighton before being selected as a first-team coach for Phillip Cocu’s Derby County. After a season and a half with Cocu, Rosenior was promoted to assistant manager under Wayne Rooney, which is where his coaching ability really began to take off.

😃 We signed @rosenior_liam23 on this day 4️⃣ years ago!#BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/owf90tDbAn

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) June 22, 2019

Many see Rooney’s stint at Derby County as his only coaching spell, which highlighted his managerial quality. During the pair’s first and only full season in charge of the Rams, they faced a 21-point deduction, meaning that relegation was almost inevitable, yet Derby County managed to put up a fight, avoiding relegation until the penultimate away game of the season. The Rams earned 55 points in 2021/22, which would’ve left them 17th if it wasn’t for the point deduction. Rooney was the face of the managerial side of things, but Rosenior was the mastermind behind the scenes, brainstorming the fight against salary caps and a transfer embargo.

At the start of the 2022/23 season Rosenior took over from Rooney as interim coach following relegation, but was left with a decimated squad that had just three players born earlier than the year 2000 (Craig Forsyth, Richard Stearman and Curtis Davies), as well as a handful of young first team players (the likes of Max Bird, Louie Sibley, Jason Knight and Eiran Cashin). Rosenior oversaw the squad from July to late September, including Derby’s first nine games of the League One season. In light of David Clowes saving the club by taking over as owner, Derby signed 12 free agents and six loan players in an attempt to rebuild a squad. Without a penny spent on fees that summer, Joe Wildsmith, James Collins, Conor Hourihane and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing were all free agent signings that went on to make over 50 appearances in all competitions for the club that season. David McGoldrick was another summer freebie who ended the season as the Rams' top scorer with 22 goals.

Liam Rosenior's record as Derby County manager, with a team of free transfers and loans, is genuinely impressive.

7️⃣ Games
4️⃣ Wins
2️⃣ Draws
1️⃣ Defeat

He's got us playing incredible football too. Deserves the permanent manager's job 🐏 #DCFC pic.twitter.com/TqtWZUBc1f

— Jake Barker (@JakeBarker1212) August 24, 2022

Rosenior not only oversaw the club whilst so much change was occurring, but he also began to portray his playing out from the back style of play. Unfortunately, the new owners did not have confidence in him, opting to employ Paul Warne as a first-team coach despite having the club in 7th after nine games, where Derby eventually finished that season. Rosenior left Derby, ending his three-year stay in Derbyshire, but was quickly snapped up by Hull City less than two months later, with the club sitting one place above the Championship relegation zone. His first official head coach role was upon him.

Hull City made sense for Rosenior, in a full circle moment, the manager returned to the club he spent five seasons at as a player and hit the ground running, losing just six league games from November 3rd onwards. He took them a step further last season, leading the Tigers to a 7th-place finish just three points off the playoffs after getting results from all of the top four. After losing to Plymouth on the final day of the season, Rosenior was relieved of his duties. Hull owner Acun Ilicali said that Rosenior had been sacked over a difference in football philosophy between the two, with Ilicali wanting attacking football and Rosenior unable to offer that as a manager. This decision seems to have come back to bite Hull though, as the club have spent this season battling relegation, currently three points clear of the drop zone, a shade of the squad they were the season prior.

You get the feeling Liam Rosenior has a big future ahead of him in management.

He’s doing a great job at Strasbourg in France. 🇫🇷

This post-match team-talk is excellent after being Lens to go 7th in the league 👇

pic.twitter.com/fL1kX99UBu

— The #EFL Zone (@TheFLZone) February 20, 2025

Life at Strasbourg

BlueCo and Strasbourg saw Rosenior as a young coach with lots of potential, which is exactly why they brought him to Eastern France. It’s not often that a coach swaps the Championship for a midtable Ligue 1 side, but the move has had a positive effect on the club, as with eight games to go, Strasbourg have two more Ligue 1 wins than their final 2023/24 total under Patrick Viera and three more goals than they managed last campaign too.

Les Bleu et Blanc just so happen to be in their best form of the season right now, hitting a purple patch at the right time. Losing just once in the league since November, RCS are currently unbeaten in six (5W, 1D) and did not concede a single goal in any of their six matches between February 9th and March 9th.

Liam Rosenior ball ⚽️

The 20 passes that led to Felix’s goal with Moreira’s assist.

pic.twitter.com/UCIVTtKz7o

— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaIoanArmy) March 25, 2025

Emanuel Emegha’s goals have helped Strasbourg turn one point into three on multiple occasions in the last couple of months. Rosenior likes to have a powerful centre-forward to rely on when fit, as we previously saw with the likes of Oscar Estupinan and Liam Delap at Hull. Guela Doue, Ismael Doukoure, and Mamadou Sarr have all been staples at the back for Rosenior, whether playing in a defensive line of three, four or five, with all of them having featured heavily in Strasbourg’s run of five straight clean sheets.

Rosenior as a Coach

A Rosenior side dominates possession, presses the ball and shows intensity. Whilst these aren’t uncommon characteristics in the modern game, it is the exact fresh approach that Strasbourg needed. He has an exceptional ability working with young players , the perfect match for Strasbourg who have by far the youngest squad in Ligue 1 at 21.8 years on average.

Diego Moreira (20) 🤝 Valentín Barco (20) 🤝 Félix Lemaréchal (21)

Crucial Goal for the RC Strasbourg’s victory last weekend.

Top U21 Ballers.

Great to see 🤩

pic.twitter.com/vLsnqo82cT

— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) March 18, 2025

Rosenior has a versatile approach to his formations varying from a; 3-4-2-1, 4-4-1-1 and 4-3-3. Strasbourg have great defensive coverage and and ability to transition between formations. Combine that with high and wide wingbacks that stretch opponents and there is no surprise that RCS are challenging for the top four.

The Run In

Strasbourg and Rosenior begin the last leg of their Ligue 1 journey this season on Friday against 5th-placed Lyon; they then also have to play the current 1st, 3rd and 4th place teams in their final eight. However, their other four games are all against sides in the bottom five currently. 51 points were enough to secure Conference League football in France last season, with recent data also showing that 59 were enough to gain a Champions League spot. That leaves Strasbourg eight points off the Conference League tally and 16 points away from the UCL margin. The opportunity to coach in Europe is becoming less of a dream and more of a reality for Rosenior as months pass. If he can keep up his side’s astute defence to deliver the results needed, especially against weaker teams, then the possible outcomes of the Englishman’s first season at Strasbourg are endless.