Sports Correspondent – Chelsea have officially confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as the club’s new manager, with the Spaniard set to begin work on 1 July after agreeing to a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

Alonso returns to management just months after parting ways with Real Madrid, where his spell in charge came to an end in January following a difficult start to the campaign.
Speaking after the announcement, Alonso expressed excitement over taking charge of the Premier League giants.

“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club,” he said.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”

He added: “There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club, and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.”

The London side have been searching for a new boss since dismissing Liam Rosenior in April after a short stint in charge that lasted just three months.

Chelsea reportedly identified Alonso as their preferred candidate early in the process, with the former Liverpool FC midfielder expected to play a major role in shaping the club’s football structure beyond first-team duties.

As a player, Alonso enjoyed enormous success, including two UEFA Champions League titles. He later built his coaching reputation at Bayer Leverkusen, guiding the German club to an unbeaten Bundesliga-winning season in 2023/24.

He now becomes the fifth permanent managerial appointment made under Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership era, following spells by Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Rosenior.