Chelsea have announced the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager.
Alonso took over on July 1st, signing a four-year contract with Stamford Bridge.
Alonso said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and I am extremely proud to be the manager of this great club.
“From our conversations with the ownership group and leaders in the sport, it is clear that we share the same ambitions. We always want to build a team that can compete at the highest level and fight for trophies.”
“This football club has great talent and huge potential and I am very proud to be leading the team. The focus now is on working hard, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Xabi Alonso agrees to become Chelsea’s next permanent manager on four-year contract
Alonso was Chelsea’s number one target
Chelsea, currently ninth in the Premier League, are looking for a new head coach after sacking Liam Rosenior in April after just three months in the role.
The former Real Madrid manager is Chelsea’s number one target and the former Liverpool midfielder will retain the title of manager rather than head coach in recognition of his experience and key role in contributing to the development of all aspects of the club.
News of Alonso’s impending appointment emerged shortly after Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, during which caretaker manager Callum MacFarlane was in the dugout.
Alonso’s appointment had fueled speculation about a possible return to Anfield amid manager Arne Slott’s struggles, but the Dutchman is expected to remain in charge.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola and Fulham manager Marco Silva were also on Chelsea’s shortlist, with Iraola said to have been particularly impressed.
Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Como’s Cesc Fabregas and former Flamengo manager Filipe Luis were also considered.
Alonso was out of a job in his seventh month at the club after being sacked by Real Madrid in January.
He won the Champions League twice as a player and led Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season.
Alonso becomes the fifth permanent appointment under BlueCo ownership, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Rosenior.
Why Chelsea signed Alonso – and how he will fit in
Alonso linked to Chelsea’s summer transfer plans
Chelsea believe Alonso faces the challenge of building a culture as well as a team, and his appointment reflects lessons learned from past mistakes.
Club leaders regard him as one of the most respected young managers in European football and believe he has a disciplined, calm leadership style and ability to play in a variety of formations.
Alonso will work with the club’s existing sporting director and ownership group to address business over the summer.
Chelsea are looking to add experience to their squad in the upcoming transfer window by signing several first-team players, including a centre-back.
Chelsea could miss out on European football next season for the second time in their BlueCo era after losing to City in the FA Cup final.
An eighth place finish would secure a place in the Conference League, while a sixth or seventh place could qualify for the Europa League, although this is unlikely.
However, Chelsea’s leaders want to continue competing for the biggest trophies and believe Alonso is the right fit for their long-term strategy.
Leverkusen’s invincible season, highlights of Alonso’s young coaching resume
Rich Morgan of Sky Sports:
Alonso, who retired in 2017 after an 18-year, trophy-laden career with Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain, began his coaching career coaching Los Blancos’ Under-14s.
The Basque player then spent three years with the Real Sociedad B team before taking charge of Bayer Leverkusen, who are second to the bottom of the Bundesliga, in October 2022, leading them to a sixth-place finish and a place in the Europa League semi-finals.
Xabi Alonso lifts Bundesliga trophy after unbeaten season
In their first full season at BayArena, Leverkusen played in a 3-4-3 formation and went unbeaten throughout the season, winning their first Bundesliga title and setting a new European record with 51 unbeaten matches in all competitions en route to their domestic double.
However, Alonso left Leverkusen in the 2024-25 season, where they could only finish runners-up to Bayern Munich, and was appointed Madrid manager in May of the same year, replacing Carlo Ancelotti on a three-year contract.
Leverkusen achieve their first domestic double in the DFB Pokal
His tenure at the Bernabéu began with a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-finals that summer, and despite beating Barcelona 2-1 in late October to move five points clear of their rivals at the top of La Liga, a deteriorating relationship with star man Vinicius Junior and poor results led to his early departure in January.
“Statement released before summer of rebuilding”
Sky Sports News reporter James Cole:
“This contract has been concluded after several weeks of negotiations between Chelsea and Alonso.
“He was always the number one target on the three-man shortlist.
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Sky Sports’ James Cole reports from Wembley as Manchester City beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final
“They managed to resolve the issues in the agreement and now there is an agreement.
“He is the boss of a statement that the Chelsea hierarchy feels can calm the storm that has hit Chelsea in recent weeks in terms of the disconnect between fans, owners and their business model.”
Your opinion: ‘The best appointment Chelsea could have made’
Nathan: As a Chelsea fan, I’ve been critical of BlueCo, but they deserve a lot of credit for pulling this off. Welcome to Chelsea, Xabi Alonso.
Dan O: Alonso is without a doubt Chelsea’s best addition. The only question is whether the board and sporting director will learn their lesson and relinquish control…
JP: Why did FSG allow this to happen?! Fair play to Chelsea for signing him, but we (Liverpool) had a chance to sign him, but instead we stick with a slot that is outside the tier and set us back.
Levy V: I am very happy with this appointment, given my work at Leverkusen. Let this guy do his job and Chelsea will be back in business.
F20GHT: I think it’s a great appointment, but are Chelsea going to bring in some experienced players and stop blaming the manager when things go wrong? Just buying players for the ‘future’ is no longer enough.
Shanepancho778: As a lifelong Liverpool fan, I’m really disappointed to hear this news. To be honest, I thought it was inevitable that Slot would be gone at the end of the season and Alonso would be brought in right away and spend a full preseason. He will never manage Liverpool now.
