Xabi Alonso has been appointed Chelsea’s new manager, the club announced, agreeing a four-year contract and set to begin work on July 1, the report says.
Alonso, 44, had been out of work since being fired by Real Madrid in January after just half a season in charge at the Bernabéu, the report says.
In a statement, 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.” He added that discussions with the ownership and sporting leadership made clear a shared ambition to “build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”
Chelsea’s move comes after a turbulent campaign that included a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday and the exits of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, with Rosenior fired 106 days into his six-and-a-half year deal last month, the report says. The club had also identified Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva as potential replacements, and Rosenior’s role has been filled by interim coach Calum McFarlane in recent weeks, per the report.
The report notes Alonso announced himself as a leading young coach after guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title unbeaten in 2024. The former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid midfielder will hope to steer Chelsea back into Champions League contention after the club failed to qualify three times in the last four years, the report says.
“His appointment reflects the club’s belief in his broad set of experiences, coaching quality and game model, leadership attributes, character and integrity,” the club said in a statement. Information from ESPN’s Mark Ogden contributed to this report.
