Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager on a four-year contract. The Spaniard will officially take charge from 1 July, marking his first managerial role in the Premier League. He becomes the sixth permanent manager since the club's takeover by the BlueCo consortium in 2022.
Alonso, who previously managed Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid, replaces Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last month. Calum McFarlane had been in interim charge, overseeing Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. The club are likely to miss out on Champions League qualification and may have no European football next season.
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: '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.'
Alonso's reputation was built at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the club to the Bundesliga title and an unbeaten domestic season in 2023-24. However, his subsequent spell at Real Madrid lasted only eight months, ending in January after poor results and reports of losing the dressing room. Chelsea described him as 'one of the most respected figures in the modern game'.
The appointment comes amid ongoing fan unrest over the club's direction and financial concerns, with around £2bn spent on new players since the 2022 takeover. Chelsea's shortlist also included Filipe Luís, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Marco Silva. Alonso has been on the club's radar for at least three years.
