Chelsea announced the signing of former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso as their new manager for the upcoming 2026-27 season on Sunday 17 May. Alonso joins on a four-year deal and will take charge at Stamford Bridge from July 1.
The decision comes right after The Blues suffered heartbreak in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, meaning they won’t be part of any European competition next year. Alonso was out of work since he was sacked as Real Madrid manager at the start of the year in January.
“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as Men’s Team Manager.”
“The Spaniard will start his role on July 1, 2026 after agreeing a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge,” Chelsea said in a statement.
WHAT ALONSO SAID AFTER JOINING CHELSEA
Alonso was delighted to join Chelsea and said he and the club share the same ambitions. The Spaniard said the aim will be to build a team capable of challenging for titles.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become the manager of this great club.”
“From my conversations with the ownership group and the sports management, it is clear that we share the same ambitions. We want to build a team capable of consistently competing at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”
“There is great talent in the squad and huge potential in this football club and it will be a great honor to lead it. We are now focused on working hard, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Alonso is expected to bring stability back to Stamford Bridge as they have already seen two managers sacked this year. Enzo Maresca, who led Chelsea to the Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, was sacked in January after disagreements with the board.
His successor, Liam Rosenoir, he failed to change the fate of the club and was fired in April. Alonso comes with a great reputation after his time in Germany at Bayer Leverkusen, where he helped them win their first Bundesliga title in 2024 as well as the German Cup.
His time at Real Madrid was turbulent and ended after the Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona.
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Published on:
17 May 2026 14:15 IST
