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Alonso to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea agreed to appoint Xabi Alonso as their next permanent manager on a four-year deal, with an announcement expected on Sunday and work at Stamford Bridge starting on July 1.
“agreed to become Chelsea's next permanent manager on a four-year deal”
The deal follows Chelsea’s 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, where interim boss Calum McFarlane was in the dugout, and it comes after Chelsea sacked Liam Rosenior in April after only three months in charge.
Sky Sports says Alonso will be manager rather than head coach, and that Chelsea’s recognition of his experience and the role he will play in helping develop all aspects of the club shaped the title.
BBC reported that Alonso’s contract is expected to begin on 1 July, and that the news of his impending arrival filtered out within the aftermath of Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Wembley.
In the background of the appointment, Sky Sports notes Alonso had been out of work since being sacked by Real Madrid earlier this year, and that he had been linked with the Liverpool role while Arne Slot looks set to stay.
Slot pressure, Mbappe praise
While Chelsea moved to secure Alonso, Liverpool’s Arne Slot faced fresh pressure after his side lost a 19th game in all competitions this season at Aston Villa, and Slot said in his post-match press conference, "I can understand at this moment in time that they (the fans) don't have a lot of confidence".
The BBC framed the appointment as a lift for supporters after the FA Cup final defeat, noting that only a few hundred Chelsea fans were still inside Wembley as Cole Palmer and Co collected their losers' medals.
On the wider football circuit, Kylian Mbappé publicly backed Alonso, with Fabrizio Romano relaying comments on X that included: "I have a great relationship with Xabi Alonso".
The same Empire of The Kop report said Mbappé added, "He will be a GREAT manager. Everyone knows what I think about him".
Together, the sources place Alonso’s Chelsea move alongside Liverpool’s ongoing struggles under Slot and a high-profile endorsement from Mbappé as the managerial market shifts.
Europe at stake
Chelsea’s appointment arrives with European qualification uncertain, as BBC said Champions League qualification is already out of reach and that a place in the Europa League looks unlikely with the club currently ninth in the Premier League with two games left.
“There is a realistic chance Chelsea will miss out on Uefa competition altogether”
BBC also said there is a realistic chance Chelsea will miss out on Uefa competition altogether, while Sky Sports reported that an eighth-place finish would secure Conference League qualification and that a sixth or seventh finish could see them into the Europa League.
The BBC described the task facing Alonso as inheriting a team low on confidence and operating under financial constraints, with the club also facing wider personnel challenges after the managerial departures of Enzo Maresca and Rosenior.
Sky Sports added that Chelsea are looking to add experience to their squad by signing several ready-made first-team players, including a centre-back in the forthcoming transfer window, and that defeat to City in the FA Cup final means Chelsea could be without European football next season for the second time in the BlueCo era.
Against that backdrop, BBC quoted co-owner Behdad Eghbali acknowledging, "getting that stability on the manager side is one of the things we haven't done right yet," as the club hopes Alonso’s status and authority can help address cultural issues and improve communication with players and supporters.
