Chelsea are close to appointing Xabi Alonso as their new manager on a four-year contract after an agreement in principle. Talks have accelerated and an announcement could come before Chelsea host Tottenham in the Premier League. Chelsea lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Manchester City and face a rebuild after a turbulent campaign. The club experienced instability following Enzo Maresca’s departure and the subsequent firing of interim manager Mauricio Pochettino? (Rosenior) after only 106 days. Chelsea want a top-level experienced manager in England or Europe and see Alonso as the standout choice. Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024 and has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. He would be Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager since the BlueCo takeover in 2022, and Liverpool are not expected to pursue him late.
"Chelsea are on the verge of appointing Xabi Alonso on a four-year contract after reaching an agreement in principle with the Spaniard to become their new manager. Alonso, who has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January, is their preferred candidate. Talks have accelerated this week and an announcement could be made before Chelsea host Tottenham in the Premier League on Tuesday."
"Chelsea, who lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, are set for a rebuild after a turbulent campaign. They were rocked by the messy departure of Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day and plummeted after replacing the Italian with Rosenior, who was fired 106 days into a six and a half year deal last month. Rosenior's demise heaped pressure on Chelsea's hierarchy with them entering a period of self-reflection."
"Chelsea have targeted a manager with experience at the top level, either in England or Europe, and view Alonso as the standout candidate. The former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Madrid midfielder announced himself as one of the brightest young managers in Europe when he led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024. Alonso, who will become Chelsea's sixth permanent manager since their takeover by the BlueCo consortium in 2022, was bruised by his short stint at Madrid."
"Chelsea's shortlist also included Filipe Luis, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Marco Silva, have had him on their radar for at least three years. There has been no sign of Liverpool, who are expected to stick with Arne Slot, trying to make a late move for Alonso. The former Spain midfielder spent five years at Anfield as a player, winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006."
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]