Xabi Alonso named Chelsea manager on four-year contract

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager, with the Spaniard signing a four-year contract and set to begin work in preseason. He becomes the sixth permanent manager under the BlueCo ownership.

The former Real Madrid head coach will take charge of the Blues from July 1 in his first managerial role in the Premier League. Callum McFarlane has served as interim manager since Liam Rosenior was sacked last month and oversaw Chelsea’s FA Cup final loss to Manchester City on Saturday.

On his appointment, Alonso said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.”

Alonso spent eight months at Madrid before leaving by mutual consent in January after poor results and widespread reports that he lost control of the dressing room. That damaged his strong reputation built at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the club to the German title and an unbeaten domestic campaign in the 2023-24 season.

Chelsea described Alonso as “one of the most respected figures in the modern game.”

“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition,” Alonso said in a Chelsea statement. “We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”

Chelsea appear highly unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League and may miss out on European competition entirely. The club finished a trophyless season after losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, though they did win the Club World Cup last summer.

After an unseemly end to Rosenior’s turbulent tenure, Chelsea’s ownership said it would undertake “a process of self-reflection” ahead of the next coaching appointment, amid growing tension among supporters about the direction of an increasingly dysfunctional club and massive financial concerns after years of heavy spending.

Since the 2022 purchase of Chelsea by a consortium fronted by Boehly, part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and largely funded by private equity company Clearlake Capital, the club’s leadership has spent around £2 billion on new, mostly young players on long contracts.

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

Chelsea, whose shortlist also included Filipe Luís, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Marco Silva, have had Alonso on their radar for at least three years, and the appointment will be seen as a coup for the club.