Chelsea announced Xabi Alonso as their new coach for the upcoming season.

Just a day after their defeat in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Chelsea officially announced their new coach for the upcoming season: Xabi Alonso. Following the departure of Liam Rosenior just under a month ago, the Spanish coach will take the reins of the first team starting July 1, with a long-term contract that will extend until 2030.

In an official statement, the club highlighted the Spanish coach's qualifications to lead a new era. "His appointment reflects the Club's confidence in his extensive experience, his quality as a coach and his style of play, his leadership qualities, his character and his integrity", they stated from Stamford Bridge, where they also defined him as "one of the most respected figures in current football".

Alonso, 44, had been without a team since January, when he was dismissed from Real Madrid after losing in the Supercopa de España final against Barcelona. He will now return to coaching in England, a country where he shone as a footballer during his time at Liverpool from 2004 to 2009.

"Chelsea is one of the most important clubs in world football and I am immensely proud to become the coach of this great club,” expressed the former coach of Bayer Leverkusen in statements released by the institution. "After my conversations with the owners and the sporting management, it is clear that we share the same ambition".

The former midfielder also made it clear what the goal of his tenure will be: "We want to build a team capable of consistently competing at the highest level and fighting for trophies". "There is a lot of talent in the squad and enormous potential in this football club, and it will be a great honor for me to lead it. Now we will focus on hard work, building the right culture, and winning titles", he concluded.

Meanwhile, the interim management will remain in the hands of Calum McFarlane, who will coach the remaining two matches of the season against Tottenham and Sunderland in the Premier League. Chelsea still holds a slim hope of qualifying for European competitions, although they no longer have a chance of entering the next Champions League.

Currently, the team featuring Argentines Enzo Fernández and Alejandro Garnacho is ninth in the English league with 49 points, behind Brentford (51), Brighton (53), and Bournemouth (55), the last teams currently occupying international qualification spots for the Europa League and Conference League.

Xabi's numbers at Real Madrid

In his last job as coach of the White House, the native of Tolosa managed just 34 matches in just over 7 months (June 2025 to January 2026), with a record of 24 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses, and a balance of 72 goals for and 38 against.