The former Real Madrid manager will replace Liam Rosenior at the end of a difficult season for the London-based club.
Published May 17, 2026
The Premier League club has announced that Xabi Alonso has been appointed as Chelsea’s new manager, with the Spaniard signing a four-year contract starting July 1.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in football and I am extremely proud to be the manager of this great club,” Alonso said in a statement on Sunday.
The former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen manager becomes Chelsea’s fifth permanent manager under BlueCo owners, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.
This marks Alonso’s return to English football, having made 210 appearances for Liverpool as a player before moving to Real Madrid in 2009 before ending his playing career with Bayern Munich in 2017.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and the sporting leaders, it is clear that we share the same ambitions,” Alonso said after taking over.
“We always want to build a team that can compete at the highest level and fight for trophies.
“This football club has great talent and huge potential and I’m delighted to be leading the team. Our focus now is on working hard, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Chelsea have endured a difficult season, dropping to ninth in the Premier League after losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday and facing an uphill battle for European qualification.
“Chelsea Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager of the men’s team,” Chelsea said in a statement.
Alonso sees ‘potential’ in Chelsea’s turbulent times
After retiring as a player, Alonso began his coaching career in Real Madrid’s youth organization, before going on to manage Real Sociedad’s reserve team.
He made his name as Bayer Leverkusen manager, taking over in 2022 and leading the club to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga title in the 2023-2024 season, as well as winning the German Cup and reaching the Europa League final.
This success saw him return to Real Madrid as head coach, but he was reportedly affected by internal tensions, including clashes with several senior players, including Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior.
He was sacked by Real Madrid in January, less than eight months after taking over.
As a player, the former Spain international made 236 appearances for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2014, winning La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles and the club’s 10th European Cup.
He also played 114 games for the national team and finished his international career with a World Cup trophy and two European titles.
Chelsea started the season as FIFA Club World Cup champions, but their form has faltered amid management turmoil and fan protests.
Chelsea have spent £1.8bn on signings since Bruko took over in 2022, but there have been few signs of consistent progress.
Fan group Not a Project staged a protest against the club’s management ahead of Saturday’s Wembley show.
Alonso’s challenge now is to try to build a team that can return to the top of the Premier League.
Alonso, who had been linked with a return to Liverpool, said: “We have great talent in the team and this football club has great potential.” “The focus now is on working hard, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Current caretaker manager Callum McFarlane will remain in charge until the end of the season, when the Reds play Tottenham Hotspur at home in the Premier League on Tuesday.
