Xabi Alonso is Chelsea's new manager. The 44-year-old was officially confirmed as the Blues' head coach in the aftermath of Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City, stepping in as a permanent replacement for Liam Rosenior, who was dismissed on April 23 after less than four months in charge.
Alonso has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January, bringing an end to a brief tenure that lasted just seven months into a three-year contract he signed the previous summer.
Rapid Rise Through Management Ranks
Alonso's appointment follows a meteoric rise in management, most notably at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2023–24 while completing an unbeaten domestic campaign.
He made an immediate impact at Real Madrid, winning 10 of his first 11 La Liga matches—including a Clásico victory—but ultimately fell short in the title race, finishing behind Barcelona and also losing the Spanish Super Cup final to them.
Xabi Alonso's Record Against Chelsea As a Player
Across 20 meetings with Chelsea during his playing career, Alonso recorded six wins, five draws and nine defeats.
His only goal against Chelsea arrived in the Champions League, during the dramatic 2008–09 quarterfinal second leg at Stamford Bridge, which finished 4–4, with Chelsea advancing after their 3–1 first-leg win.
Alonso also featured against Chelsea in the 2006 Community Shield, which Chelsea won 2–1. He was not involved when the two sides met in the 2005 League Cup final due to injury.