Overview
- Chelsea have recruited Austin MacPhee from Aston Villa to serve as their specialist set‑piece coach, with financial terms not disclosed by the club.
- MacPhee built his reputation at Northern Ireland, Hearts, FC Midtjylland and Aston Villa where his routines helped Villa score a high number of set‑piece goals in recent seasons.
- Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez and midfielder Bruno Fernandes publicly praised MacPhee’s creativity and his ability to connect with players after their World Cup collaboration.
- The appointment pairs MacPhee with new Chelsea signing Morgan Rogers, who previously celebrated a Villa set‑piece goal with the coach, underscoring an immediate tactical link between staff and players.
- The move reflects a wider trend of top clubs buying specialist coaches to gain small but decisive advantages on corners and free kicks and it signals Chelsea’s intent to improve both scoring and defensive dead‑ball outcomes.