Chelsea Appoints Xabi Alonso as New Manager

London. Chelsea has appointed former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso as their new manager. The 44-year-old Spanish coach has signed a four-year contract with Chelsea and will take up his duties from next July. Previously, Alonso, who was tied to a three-year contract, was without a club after leaving Real Madrid by mutual agreement last January, less than eight months into his tenure. Before that, he spent three years as a coach at German club Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the club to their historic first Bundesliga title and German Cup in 2024. Chelsea confirmed Alonso's arrival the day after suffering defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Having had two permanent managers this season, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, Chelsea expects stability in the club with Alonso's arrival. Currently, Callum McFarlane is in the role of interim coach for the second time and will continue to hold this responsibility for the remaining two games of the Premier League. Expressing his happiness after becoming Chelsea's manager, Alonso said, 'Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it is a great honor for me to be the manager of this great club.' He further added, 'From the conversations with the club's ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear that we both have the same ambitions. We want to build a team that can consistently compete at the highest level and fight for trophies. This team has excellent talent and great potential, so it is a great honor for me to lead it. Our focus now will be on hard work, building the right culture, and winning trophies.' Alonso spent five years in the Premier League with Liverpool as a player, where he helped the team win the Champions League in 2005. He also played professional football for Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. Having played 114 games for Spain, he made significant contributions to the country winning the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship twice.