Alonso Ready to Heal Real Madrid Wounds at Chelsea

Xabi Alonso is in a philosophical mood as he reflects on his football career, sitting with a beautiful view of Sydney's Darling Harbour during Chelsea's Australia tour. The 44-year-old, who lifted 16 trophies as a player with Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain, admits his coaching journey hasn't been without its challenges.

'The Scar Has Healed'

Speaking to The Athletic and a small group of English media, Alonso addressed his brief tenure at Real Madrid that ended disappointingly. "Luckily there are not too many scars in my career," he said. "So, OK, I got a scar, but this heals. Now it is healed, and I am very motivated and determined to enjoy this next step as I did when I started in Madrid."

When asked if the disappointment made him a better manager, Alonso replied emphatically: "Sure, sure, sure. Because you learn from the disappointment of things that were not meant to be and you try to think that things will be better."

During his time out of work, Alonso focused on resetting his energy. "I didn't watch much football. It was mainly about myself, about feeling it," he explained.

Guardiola's Influence and Building Winning Culture

Alonso played under some of football's greatest managers including Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, Vicente del Bosque and Rafa Benitez. His final club was Bayern Munich, where he worked closely with Guardiola for two of three years.

"We were very close," Alonso recalled. "I was very curious. I was in that moment of my career where I could go to his office and say, 'Pep, why is this happening? What's going to be the game plan?'. Maybe when I was 20, I didn't have the confidence to go to the manager's office to ask those things."

Now as a manager himself, Alonso has clear views on what makes a successful dressing room. "You need the right balance of personalities, of maturity stages, players in their early twenties, early thirties and in between," he explained. "There is not a formula for that, but there is a feeling for it."

Why Chelsea Felt Right

Chelsea have struggled since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in 2022, winning just two trophies (Conference League and Club World Cup) and finishing 10th last season, 33 points behind champions Arsenal. The club haven't won the Premier League in a decade.

The recent moves for 35-year-old Danny Welbeck and 36-year-old Jordan Henderson signal a shift in recruitment strategy, bringing experience to a squad that has featured the youngest average teams in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons.

Significantly, Alonso is the first hire under the current ownership to receive the title of manager rather than head coach, indicating greater influence in decision-making discussions with sporting directors and the hierarchy.

"It was about the project because I had a view of Chelsea from the outside," Alonso said. "I could see the positives and had my concerns. So I addressed them. The club, the sporting directors… it has been a process for them, some good things and other things they want to correct."

"The most important point is that we made the same analysis. If we had different views, it probably would not have been the right starting point. So far, we are taking the right ones."

Family and Fitness

The lure of London played a role in Alonso's decision, with his wife Nagore loving the city. Their daughters Ane and Emma will make the move, while son Jontxu remains studying at university in Spain.

Alonso is already setting high standards physically, going on 10-kilometre runs three times a week at a pace of four minutes and 30 seconds per kilometre. His admiration for his father Periko, who won La Liga with Real Sociedad and Barcelona, shines through when discussing his coaching journey.

Chelsea confirmed Alonso's appointment the day after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City, ending a 2025-26 campaign that saw Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior and interim Calum McFarlane all take turns in the dugout.

With a four-year contract in hand, Alonso believes the timing is right for both club and manager. "It had to be a lot from here (points at his heart and his head) and also from here (points to his gut). I saw it was good timing from the club, good timing for myself, a good opportunity."

As one observer noted: Real Madrid's loss could well be Chelsea's gain.