How Liam Rosenior has RC Strasbourg chasing UCL with ideal Chelsea blueprint

Former Hull and Derby manager Liam Rosenior is enjoying a great first season in France at the Alsace club bought by Chelsea owners BlueCo as his squad chase a spot in Europe

Liam Rosenior has urged his young RC Strasbourg stars to live the “dream” and qualify for the Champions League in his first season in France. But the ex-Hull boss has warned Aston Villa face a nightmare draw against his favourites Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals next month.

Rosenior, 40, had interest from Sunderland and Burnley last summer before signing a three-year deal with the Alsace club bought by Chelsea owners BlueCo in 2023. And despite the youngest squad in Ligue 1 - his team against Nice was the youngest in the French top flight for 75 years - they sit seventh with already more points than the whole of last season under Patrick Vieira. The BlueCo policy of developing young stars has worked better and quicker - and certainly at less expense - under Rosenior than at Stamford Bridge.

And with eight matches to go, RC Strasbourg are only four points off a Champions League spot and qualifying for the top club European competition for the first time since 1980. Rosenior is among the candidates for Leicester and Southampton when they return to the Championship next season. But the former England Under 21 international has higher ambitions.

"My focus is on getting us into Europe," he said. "You're in football to dream. I never want to limit my players' dreams. I'm not being arrogant, but with eight games to play? Of course it's possible. I want my players to dream. I want them to believe they can win in every game they play.

"We're in a position that I don't think many people would have believed that we would be in even now. So what we have to do is enjoy it. There's no pressure on us.

"We have to go and play like we've been playing, play to win every game. And I think if we do that, and to the level that I expect us to play at, that we could have a really, really exciting end of the season. We might fall short. But it's been a really successful season in terms of embedding the long-term identity of the club."

Strasbourg can overtake fifth-placed Lyon with a home win on Friday but face a tough run with games against Monaco and PSG to come. "If you want to reach the Champions League or the Europa League, you have to beat the best teams," said the former Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton defender.

PSG are the best team in France and can wrap up a fourth consecutive title this weekend before former coach Unai Emery returns to the the Parc de Princes with his Villa side on April 9.

“For me, PSG are the favourites to win the Champions League,” Rosenior. “They are the best team in Europe at the minute.”

The BlueCo connection has seen midfielder Andrey Santos and keeper Djordje Petrovic loaned from Chelsea. The Serbian had been expected to return to West London to compete for the No.1 jersey with Robert Sanchez and Fili Jorgensen. But Petrovic said: “It could be a very good option to stay here if Strasbourg qualify for the Champions League.”