Alonso Opens Up About His Time at Real Madrid and Choosing Chelsea

Spanish coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he has moved on from his time at Real Madrid, stating that he is eagerly preparing for his new challenge with Chelsea after departing from the Spanish giants this summer.

Alonso stated in remarks reported by The Athletic: "Fortunately, I don't have many scars in my career. I have only one scar, but it has healed, and now I feel a great excitement to embark on this new phase with Chelsea just as I enjoyed my start with Real Madrid."

Reflecting on his experience with Real Madrid, the Spanish coach stated: "When I look back, I hold onto all the positives, and I also think about what didn’t work. I was very critical of myself, and I tried to figure out what I could have done better, as things didn’t go as I expected. One learns from disappointments, and that’s what makes me better."

He added: "The experience was a mix of many things, whether in terms of developing playing style or managing players. There were things that worked and others that didn't, but I came away with a lot of experience."

Alonso revealed that he took advantage of his time away from coaching to regain his energy, saying: "A coach needs a lot of energy to pass it on to the players. So during that time, I focused on regaining my enthusiasm rather than following football."

On his choice to join Chelsea, he said: "What attracted me was the project. I had a clear vision of the club from the outside, and I spoke with the management about the positives and the areas that need improvement. We found that we share the same vision, and that was the basis of the agreement."

He concluded about his previous relationship with Pep Guardiola during their time at Bayern Munich, explaining: "We were very close. I would go to his office and ask him about his ideas and tactical plans, and we had a relationship built on trust, which helped me a lot in developing my understanding of football."