Xabi Alonso to Chelsea: Former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen coach confirmed as manager at Stamford Bridge
Xabi Alonso had been out of work since being sacked by Real Madrid earlier this year; Alonso had been linked with the Liverpool role but Arne Slot looks set to stay; Alonso will be manager, not head coach, and will start on July 1
Sunday 17 May 2026 11:09, UK
Chelsea have announced the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager.
Alonso will begin his role on July 1 and has signed a four‑year contract at Stamford Bridge.
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.
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"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.
"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."
Alonso was Chelsea's No 1 target
Chelsea, currently ninth in the Premier League table, have been looking for a new head coach after sacking Liam Rosenior in April after only three months in charge.
The former Real Madrid boss was Chelsea's No 1 target and the ex-Liverpool midfielder will hold the title of manager rather than head coach, in recognition of his experience and the key role he will play in helping develop all aspects of the club.
News of Alonso's imminent appointment emerged shortly after Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, where interim boss Calum McFarlane was in the dugout.
Alonso's availability had fuelled speculation about a potential Anfield return amid Arne Slot's struggles, but the Dutchman says he expects to remain in charge.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and Fulham head coach Marco Silva were the other coaches on Chelsea's shortlist, with Iraola understood to have especially impressed.
Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner, Como's Cesc Fabregas and ex-Flamengo boss Filipe Luis were also considered.
Alonso had been out of work since being sacked by Real Madrid in January, seven months into the job.
He won the Champions League twice as a player, as well as leading Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga-winning season in 2023/24.
Alonso will become the fifth permanent appointment of the BlueCo ownership era, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Rosenior.
Why Chelsea went for Alonso - and how he fits in
Chelsea believe their latest appointment reflects that lessons have been learned from past mistakes, with Alonso challenged to build a culture as well as a team.
Club chiefs view him as one of the most respected young coaches in European football and believe he has the discipline and calm leadership style, as well as the ability to play in different formations.
Alonso will work with the club's existing sporting directors and ownership group on summer business.
Chelsea are looking to add experience to their squad by signing several ready made first-team players - including a centre-back in the forthcoming transfer window.
Defeat to City in the FA Cup final means Chelsea could be without European football next season for the second time in the BlueCo era.
An eighth-place finish would secure Conference League qualification and, while it is unlikely, a sixth- or a seventh-placed finish could see them into the Europa League.
But Chelsea chiefs want to compete consistently for the biggest trophies and believe Alonso fits their long-term strategy.
Neville: Chelsea need someone to manage the club
Sky Sports' Gary Neville:
"They've named him manager, have they? They need someone to manage the club.
"I've said before that it's a club that has a lot of inexperience on the pitch and off the pitch. He's come in and said: 'I'm taking over and I'm not going to let other people determine my outcome in terms of recruitment, managing the medical side' and all the other things that happen in a football club.
"It is quite telling. It looks like they're handing him the keys to the safe and saying: 'Go on'.
"Chelsea haven't got things right. You don't need to debate that. It's not through the want of trying, every football club owner is desperate to try and win.
"What I would say, is they've made a mess of it, but they've put a lot of money in. No owner wants to put money into a football club and say: 'Go on, let's fail, let's not win football matches and let's sign players who won't succeed.'
"But Chelsea haven't done it correctly. They have tried to disrupt the system with these long contracts. And it's not just signing young players, the amount of players they have signed that are young , it's a strategy that has not gone well for them.
"They've given Alonso his head. It will be really interesting to see what happens. It's a great story for the start of next season in the Premier League. We need great managers, who are promising as well. He falls in between both. I thought he would go to Liverpool."
Leverkusen's Invincible season highlight of Alonso's embryonic coaching CV
Sky Sports' Rich Morgan:
Having hung up his boots in 2017 after a glittering and trophy-laden 18-year playing career with Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain, Alonso started out his managerial career coaching Los Blancos' U14s.
The Basque then spent three years with the Real Sociedad B side, before taking over Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022 with the team second bottom of the Bundesliga, guiding them to a sixth-place finish and the semi-finals of the Europa League.
In his first full season in charge at the BayArena, Leverkusen - playing in a 3-4-3 formation - won their first Bundesliga while going the whole campaign unbeaten, setting a new European record of 51 matches without defeat in all competitions on their way to a domestic double.
However, Alonso left Leverkusen after they could only finish runners-up to Bayern Munich in the 2024/25 season, being appointed Carlo Ancelotti's successor as Madrid head coach on a three-year deal that May.
His tenure at the Bernabeu began with defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of that summer's Club World Cup and despite beating Barcelona 2-1 to move five points clear of their arch rivals at the top of LaLiga in late October, a downturn in results coupled with a strained relationship with star man Vinicius Junior led to his early departure in January.
'A statement appointment ahead of a summer of rebuilding'
Sky Sports News reporter James Cole:
"This deal comes after weeks of talks between Chelsea and Alonso.
"He was always the primary target on a three-man shortlist.
"They managed to iron out the sticking points on the agreement, with the deal now finalised.
"He is the statement boss that the Chelsea hierarchy feel can calm the storm that has been around Chelsea in the last few weeks in terms of a disconnect between the fans, the owners and their business model."
Your views: 'The best appointment Chelsea could have made'
Nathan: As a Chelsea fan I've been critical of BlueCo but they deserve massive credit for pulling this off. Welcome to Chelsea, Xabi Alonso.
DanO: Alonso is undoubtedly the best appointment Chelsea could have made. The only question is if the board and sporting directors have learnt their lessons and will cede control...
JP: How have FSG let this happen?! Fair play to Chelsea for getting him but we [Liverpool] had our chance to get him but instead we stick with Slot who is out of depth and is taking us backwards.
Lewie V: Very happy with this appointment based on the Leverkusen job he did. Let the man do his job and Chelsea could be back in business.
F20GHT: Think it's a great appointment but are Chelsea going to get some experienced players in and stop blaming the manager when things go wrong? Buying players for the 'future' doesn't quite cut it anymore.
Shanepancho778: As a Lifelong Liverpool fan I am absolutely gutted hearing this news. I honestly thought it was inevitable that at the end of the season Slot would be gone and Alonso would be swept in straight away to have a full pre-season. He will never manage Liverpool now.
