Chelsea appointed Xabi Alonso as the club’s manager on Sunday on a four-year deal with the Spaniard the latest coach tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Blues lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City on Saturday and lie ninth in the Premier League with two games of the campaign to go.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Alonso rose to prominence as one of Europe’s brightest coaches by guiding Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten German league and cup double in the 2023\/24 season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
However, he lasted just seven months in the Real Madrid hotseat. Appointed last year, he departed the Spanish giants in January.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager of the men’s team,” Chelsea said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“The Spaniard will begin his role on July 1, 2026, having agreed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Alonso faces a huge task to get Chelsea back in the running for major honors.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Chelsea did win the World Club Cup and the UEFA Conference League last year but have little else to show for well over one billion pounds ($1.35 billion) of spending on players since as US consortium BlueCo took over in 2022 following Roman Abramovich’s trophy-laden ownership of the club.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Defeat at Wembley on Saturday means they have now gone eight seasons without a domestic trophy.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fans have continuously protested against BlueCo, who have embarked on a scattergun approach to hoovering up young talent from across the globe.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
That policy has secured some notable successes such as England international Cole Palmer.<\/p>\n
But a lack of experience in both the playing squad and, often in the coaching staff, has been blamed for a lack of consistency.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Alonso becomes the sixth permanent manager to take charge at Stamford Bridge in the past four years after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The 44-year-old has a point to prove after a turbulent short spell in Madrid.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Alonso’s arrival is a coup for Chelsea’s much-criticised owners.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Many Liverpool fans were desperate for him to return to Anfield, where he starred for five years as a player between 2004 and 2009, to succeed the under-fire Arne Slot.<\/p>\n