Chelsea have appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager on a four-year contract, with the Spanish coach tasked with reviving the club’s struggling fortunes.
The former Bayer Leverkusen boss will officially begin his role on July 1, 2026, according to a club statement released on Sunday.
“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager of the men’s team,” the club said.
Alonso arrives at Stamford Bridge following a turbulent spell in charge of Real Madrid, which ended after just seven months despite his success at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the German side to an unbeaten Bundesliga and cup double in the 2023/24 season.
His appointment comes after Chelsea’s disappointing campaign, which includes a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup final and a ninth-place standing in the Premier League with two matches remaining.
The club have now gone eight seasons without a domestic trophy, despite spending over £1 billion on transfers since the BlueCo consortium took over in 2022.
Chelsea’s recent strategy of recruiting young talent from across the globe has produced mixed results, with England international Cole Palmer among the notable successes, but inconsistency has persisted due to inexperience within the squad and coaching ranks.
Alonso becomes the sixth permanent manager at Stamford Bridge in four years, following Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.
His arrival is seen as a major coup for Chelsea’s ownership, especially amid reported interest from other top European clubs.
Many Liverpool supporters had also reportedly hoped Alonso would return to Anfield, where he spent five years as a player between 2004 and 2009.
The 44-year-old now faces the task of stabilising a Chelsea side that has underachieved domestically and is likely to miss out on European qualification this season.
