Xabi Alonso: Chelsea agree deal in principle for Spaniard to become next manager

Alonso, a World Cup winner in 2010, took up his first coaching role with Real Madrid’s under-14s side in 2018.

After impressing in three years in charge of Real Sociedad’s B team, his first managerial role in first-team football came when he took over at Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022.

He lifted the club from second from bottom to a sixth-place finish in the 2022-23 Bundesliga, before securing the club’s first German title the following season and becoming the first side to win the competition with an unbeaten record.

A Europa League final defeat by Atalanta represented their only loss in 53 games in all competitions, before they completed a domestic double in the German Cup.

Alonso, a double European Championship winner with Spain, was linked with Real, Liverpool, where he won the Champions League in 2005, and Bayern last year, but said in March 2024 that he wanted to stay at Leverkusen following talks with the club’s hierarchy.

Despite losing just three times in the Bundesliga in the 2024-25 season, Leverkusen were unable to defend their title.

Alonso’s side were knocked out of this season’s Champions league in the last 16 by Bayern Munich, while they suffered a shock loss to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup semi-finals.

Having joined Real initially on a three-year deal, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti, he won 24 of his 34 games in charge.

He departed after a loss to rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and also suffered a heavy defeat by city rivals Atletico in September as well as losses to both Liverpool and Manchester City in the Champions League.

BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague said that there was “a clash between a coach with a clear methodology and players who want to rely on instinct”.