OFFICIAL: Chelsea announce Xabi Alonso as new manager

Updated: 17 May 2026 10:29 BST | 5 min read

Matthew Judge | Editor

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Chelsea have named Xabi Alonso as their new manager on a four-year contract, with the Spaniard set to officially take over on 1 July.

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The Blues had been searching for a permanent head coach to replace Liam Rosenior, who was sacked after just 106 days in charge in April.

Chelsea, who are being overseen by interim boss Calum McFarlane until the end of the season, had considered several managers including Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Fulham’s Marco Silva, according to widespread reports.

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as Manager of the Men’s Team.

The Spaniard will begin his role on July 1, 2026, having agreed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

Welcome to Chelsea, Xabi!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 17, 2026

However, The Athletic revealed on Saturday that Alonso, who had been a free agent following his sacking by Real Madrid in January, was Chelsea’s primary target to replace Rosenior on a permanent basis.

And now the west Londoners have formally announced the arrival of Alonso, who is set to return to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Liverpool as a player in 2009.

In a statement on Chelsea’s official club website, Alonso - who enjoyed a trophy-laden playing career with Liverpool, Real, Bayern Munich and Spain before becoming one of the most exciting young managers in the world - said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.

“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”

After hanging up his boots in 2017, Alonso began his coaching career with boyhood club Real Sociedad’s B team in 2019, before joining Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen in 2022.

And it was there where Alonso earmarked himself as a potential managerial great, having disrupted Bayern’s dominance in Germany by leading Leverkusen to the league and cup double in 2023-24 as part of an undefeated domestic campaign.

In the same club statement, Chelsea described Alonso as “one of the most respected figures in the modern game” and an “outstanding football coach."

“His appointment reflects the Club’s belief in his broad set of experiences, coaching quality and game model, leadership attributes, character and integrity, which were key to the decision to ask him to help lead the next phase of Chelsea’s journey,” the statement reads.

After two successful seasons with Leverkusen, Alonso succeeded Carlo Ancelotti as Real head coach last June, signing a three-year deal with the club whom he played for between 2009 and 2015.

However, despite winning 70.59 per cent of his games in charge (24/34), including 11 from his opening 12 La Liga fixtures, Alonso was dismissed at the start of the year after just seven months at the helm.

Chelsea, who are currently ninth in the Premier League after a difficult season which has saw both Rosenior and Enzo Maresca sacked, were beaten in Saturday’s FA Cup final by Manchester City.

The club will now see out the remainder of the 2025-26 season with a home game against Tottenham Hotspur next Tuesday, before travelling to Sunderland on the final day of the campaign.

Analysis: Alonso’s official title suggests change in Chelsea strategy

After a month-long search to find a permanent replacement to Englishman Rosenior, Chelsea have now finally got their man.

Perhaps the biggest talking point from Alonso’s arrival is that he has officially been named Chelsea manager - not head coach.

Following criticism from supporters in the wake of Rosenior's dismissal last month, which came just three months after Maresca's sacking, the Chelsea hierarchy vowed to “undertake a process of self-reflection.”

And Alonso’s official title suggests a change in Chelsea’s strategy heading into the 2026-27 season - one which could see the Spaniard enjoy a greater say on recruitment compared to his predecessors.

Despite his dismissal by Real, the fact the club have gone on to record a trophyless season without him proves Alonso was not the main problem in the Spanish capital.

Still regarded as one of the world’s best coaches owing to his tremendous work with Leverkusen, Alonso’s appointment is a major coup for both Chelsea and the Premier League.

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Written by

Matthew Judge | Editor

Matthew Judge is a freelance sports writer from Liverpool, United Kingdom. He has worked for/had words published by Everton Football Club, The Independent, Daily Mirror, Stats Perform, Goal, and Squawka, among others.

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