Xabi Alonso has officially resumed duties as the new head coach of Chelsea Football Club following his appointment in May, ushering in a new era for the Premier League side.
The 44-year-old Spaniard joins the London club with a wealth of managerial experience, having previously managed Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.
Alonso’s appointment comes after the dismissal of Liam Rosenior, with Chelsea hoping his leadership and tactical expertise will help the club recover from a disappointing campaign that saw the Blues finish 10th in the Premier League and miss out on European football.
To mark the beginning of his tenure, Chelsea shared a video of Alonso arriving at the club’s Cobham training ground on Thursday with the captions: “Xabi Alonso arrives at Cobham,” “This is where it starts,” and “A new chapter awaits.”
Alonso is also familiar with Stamford Bridge from his playing days at Liverpool. During his time with the Reds, he scored the winning goal in a 1-0 Premier League victory that ended Chelsea’s remarkable 86-match unbeaten home league run. He also found the net from the penalty spot in the memorable 4-4 UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash during the 2008/09 season.
Chelsea will be banking on Alonso’s experience to restore the club’s fortunes, with the Spaniard expected to remain in charge until the summer of 2030 if all goes according to plan.
