Xabi Alonso has officially been appointed as Chelsea’s new manager. The London club announced this Sunday morning that the Tolosa-born coach has been appointed as the new ‘manager’ of the men’s first team, and will take over from 1 July 2026 after signing a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
After spells at Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid, where he won the German club’s first Bundesliga title and made history as they went unbeaten, Alonso is now starting a new chapter in the Premier League, but it will be in West London rather than at Liverpool, where he has been for a few months. “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and I am extremely proud to be the manager of this great club,” he said on the club’s official channels.
His arrival reflects BlueCo’s attempt to get the project back on track after another tumultuous season. Chelsea, who are ninth in the Premier League with no guarantee of European qualification and have just lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, are betting on Alonso’s experience, leadership, character, integrity and style of play to open the club’s next phase.
The Spanish coach, who shared the news on MARCA a few hours ago hinting at a move to London (a post that has since been deleted), will have a role that goes beyond purely tactical duties, with influence over the team’s athletic build-up and management of a dressing room that features names such as Enzo Fernandes, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella.
“We share the same ambition. We want to build a team that can always compete at the highest level and compete for titles. This team has great talent and great potential. Our focus now is to work hard, build the right culture and win trophies,” Alonso added.
