Chelsea Land Xabi Alonso as New Head Coach After Sacking Liam Rosenior.

After months of searching, Chelsea have finally found their man. The club has appointed Xabi Alonso as their new permanent head coach, following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior, who lasted just four months in the job.

Alonso, who was sacked by Real Madrid earlier this year, had been heavily linked with the Liverpool job, but with Arne Slot looking set to stay at Anfield, Chelsea moved quickly to secure the Spanish tactician. The Blues had initially drawn up a shortlist that included Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Como’s Cesc Fàbregas, and former Flamengo boss Felipe Luís. But Alonso was always the number one target.

So why Alonso? Despite his brief and turbulent spell at Real Madrid, his stock remains high thanks to an extraordinary 2023/24 season at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the club to an unbeaten Bundesliga title and a domestic double in his first full campaign as a senior coach. He also won the Champions League twice as a player, adding to his aura.

Chelsea have been patient, waiting until after Saturday’s FA Cup final to make the announcement official. That final ended in defeat to Manchester City, meaning Chelsea are now likely to miss out on European football for the second time under the BlueCo ownership. The team sits ninth in the Premier League, having taken just one point from their last seven matches.

Alonso will become the fifth permanent appointment of the BlueCo era, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and the short-lived Rosenior. The official confirmation could come as soon as Monday.