Official: Chelsea Announces Alonso as Team Manager

Chelsea Football Club has announced on its official website the appointment of Spaniard Xabi Alonso as the head coach of the first football team, with his official duties set to begin on July 1, 2026, following his signing of a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The London club explained that the choice of Alonso was based on his extensive experience in European football, in addition to the quality of his coaching work, his technical style, and his leadership qualities, emphasizing that these factors played a decisive role in the decision to lead the club's next phase.

Alonso arrives at Chelsea after having coaching experiences with Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, where he successfully led the German club to its first league title in history, having won the Bundesliga in the 2023/2024 season without any defeats.

Xabi Alonso, in statements published on Chelsea's official website, said that taking charge of one of the biggest football clubs in the world is a great source of pride for him, pointing out that the discussions he had with the club's owners and sports management showed mutual ambitions represented in building a team capable of consistently competing at the highest level and winning championships.

The Spanish coach added that Chelsea has a distinguished group of players and great capabilities, affirming that his focus in the coming phase will be on hard work, building the right culture within the team, and achieving successes.

Chelsea concluded its statement by affirming its confidence in the new phase under Xabi Alonso's leadership, with the anticipation of continuing to achieve successes at Stamford Bridge in the coming years.