Chelsea are making positive progress in talks with Xabi Alonso, who is seeking assurances about the role before agreeing to become their new head coach.
Alonso has been bruised by his experience at Real Madrid, where he was dismissed only seven months into a three-year deal. However he is the frontrunner to replace Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last month after 106 days in charge, with players in the Chelsea dressing room also said to be receptive to his candidacy.
Chelsea have assembled a shortlist of at least five candidates, including the Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola — who has already announced he will be leaving at the end of the season — and Fulham’s Marco Silva. Both have been contacted about the role, however talks with Alonso are progressing well and he appears to be the standout candidate, given his pedigree both as a player and his early work as a coach.
The 44-year-old won multiple trophies as a player, including the Champions League with Liverpool, as well as domestic titles with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. As a coach, he guided Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in 2024, going unbeaten for the entire domestic campaign, and he also reached the Europa League final.
He succeeded Carlo Ancelotti at Real but his tenure was cut short after relationships with key players appeared to break down. “Signing him wasn’t a mistake,” Florentino Pérez, the Real president, said in an interview with the Spanish TV channel LA Sexta this week. “We had no pre-season preparation [because of the Club World Cup]. When you keep playing on Wednesdays and Sundays without that base, your fitness inevitably drops. We suffered 28 injuries. We thought the transfer would solve it, but that fix was short-lived and the form slumped again.”
Persuading Alonso to join Chelsea, who are ninth in the Premier League and are set to miss out on Champions League qualification this season, was seen as Chelsea’s biggest task but initial contacts with the Spaniard and his representatives were received positively.
Alonso is a popular figure at Premier League rivals Liverpool, whose coach, Arne Slot, is under pressure given their recent form, but the expectation at present is that Liverpool will stand by the Dutch coach. Alonso spent five years at Anfield between 2004 and 2009, winning the Champions League and FA Cup.
Chelsea parted company with Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day after a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s hierarchy, but his replacement, Rosenior, struggled to command authority within the dressing room at Chelsea and was dismissed on April 22 after a 3-0 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.
Despite a tumultuous campaign, Chelsea have still reached the FA Cup final, where they face Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday. Calum McFarlane, their interim head coach, will lead the team.
“My girlfriend’s family are massive Chelsea fans, her dad and uncle have been season-ticket holders for 50 years,” said McFarlane, speaking before the game. “She’s a massive Chelsea fan. They’re very proud. It’s a massive game and I hope we can put in a performance for all the fans. I can’t tell you exactly how I’m going to feel on the day. I’m trying to make it as normal as possible.”
McFarlane confirmed that wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto trained this week after recent injury knocks, while goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is also available after missing the 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
