John Terry has hit back at Chelsea supporters who think he does not have the credentials to lead the team.
The former centre-back, who has been open about his desire to manage the club since retiring in 2018, has yet to step into a managerial role at any level.
He is still waiting for that opportunity, and his path to the Stamford Bridge dugout is not any clearer than it was before.
While there were some discussions this month about him taking over from Enzo Maresca on an interim basis, Chelsea ultimately chose Liam Rosenior for the role instead.
Terry knows he is not right for the job at this point, but he does not appreciate being labelled as “underqualified” by some fans.
John Terry responds to Chelsea supporters questioning his coaching background
Terry has a football CV that includes time with Aston Villa and experience in the Chelsea academy set-up.
He has also earned his UEFA Pro License, the qualification needed to coach in both the Premier League and Champions League.
So when two Chelsea fans took to Instagram to question whether he was qualified to replace Maresca, he decided it was worth addressing directly.
Terry replied: “I have every qualification going, I have 3 years of coaching experience in the Premier League with Aston Villa. On top of that, nobody is more Chelsea than me.
“For us to be top again, we need a top manager, and yes, that would rule me out, but please don’t say I’m underqualified.”
The criticism from fans was not really about paperwork – it was about whether he had enough practical experience to take on a role as big as this one.
And despite holding all the necessary qualifications, it is hard to argue he has shown enough at this stage of his career to be seriously considered for the job.
Chelsea’s interim solution could have been John Terry
Chelsea faced a tough situation after Maresca’s exit, with very few top-level managers available.
Neither Carlo Ancelotti nor Jose Mourinho were options at the time, leaving the club without an obvious big-name replacement.
The Blues ended up appointing Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg, another coach still building his reputation.
Given those circumstances, bringing in Terry on an interim basis might have made more sense.
It would have given Chelsea time to wait for a proven candidate to become available, or possibly keep Terry if he did well in the role.
- READ MORE: Pedro Neto reveals what Estevao Willian does off the pitch at Chelsea that he really admires
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
