Chelsea Football Club have appointed Xabi Alonso as manager of the men’s team, with the Spaniard set to begin his role on 1 July 2026 after agreeing a four year deal at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso arrives in London with his reputation on the rise after a breakthrough spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the club to a historic first Bundesliga title in 2023/24, delivered without a single league defeat.
His coaching journey has already taken him through elite environments in Europe, including a short stint within the wider setup at Real Madrid, before a reported falling out with the squad ended his time there. His rapid rise in Germany has since established him as one of the most closely watched young managers in the game.
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A former World Cup winner with Spain and Champions League winning midfielder with Liverpool and Real Madrid, Alonso won 17 major trophies during his playing career before moving into management.
Chelsea see him as a long term appointment, backing his tactical ideas, leadership qualities and ability to build a clear identity at a club that has moved through several managerial changes since the BlueCo takeover in 2022.
Alonso becomes the sixth permanent manager to take charge at Stamford Bridge in the past four years after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.
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Chelsea currently sit ninth in the Premier League table with two matches remaining and are set to miss out on European qualification this season, underlining the scale of the rebuild ahead at Stamford Bridge.
For Alonso, it is a return to the Premier League spotlight as a manager, this time tasked with restoring Chelsea to the top tier of English and European football.
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
Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images
