The former Bayer Leverkusen coach is now the Stamford Bridge face of the future for Xabi Alonso Chelsea as the Blues announced his hiring on a four-year deal in July. After another season of managerial instability, in-fighting and unpredictable performances, Chelsea’s management are looking to one of Europe’s top young coaches to bring stability and direction to the club.

The announcement followed within 24 hours of Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, coming after the Gunners’ sour campaign of season’s on the culmination of disappointing campaigns. Up to that point, Alonso is Chelsea’s third replacement permanent manager the club has had in one year, in the wake of Chelsea’s instability since the BlueCo enter the club.

More than that, Chelsea think that Alonso will provide the club with identity and authority  something it has been lacking for months. The 44-year-old has built up an enviable reputation for the most precise guidance in football after turning the tables at Bayer Leverkusen, earning Bundesliga champions in 2023-24. With Alonso, not only did Leverkusen win their first Bundesliga championship, but they did the German Cup as well.

It was one of the most remarkable success turnarounds in Europe’s history which catapulted Alonso into one of the hot managers on the block in the league. Although linked, among others with FC Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the past year, Chelsea has been aggressive in their efforts to get his signature, having mothballed him in the Real Madrid summer transfer window earlier this year.

Alonso’s intent was evident straight away when he was presented as the new manager of Chelsea. He stressed the common objectives in the ownership and sporting leadership to ensure both are committed in creating an outfit that can achieve trophies consistently. Carefully chosen yet significant his words were. At the moment, the powers that be at Chelsea are desperate for supporters to become believers once again in a prolonged vision that they have had to deal with several poor campaigns and managerial changes in their eight years prior.

But Alonso is one of those footballing tasks  the rebuild for which duty is perhaps one of the most challenging to take on in the whole of Europe. Chelsea’s dressing room has been riven when it comes to the lower ends of the organization with a number of senior club players on the verge and debate about the project abruptly noting the club as an organisation started to percolate.

Chelsea’s dressing room has been riven all the way through the season with the reports of club unhappy players and the criticism of the club’s overall project popping into the public spotlight. There have even been players like Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez and others who have publicly criticised their policies, but also when it comes to the pitch, there’s been a lack of consistency and aggression from some of the team.

The lack of stability has had an impact on outcomes as well. Chelsea are now in ninth place in the table and have decided to aim for an early exit from the Premier League unless they improve hugely at the end of the season. The club would face hefty financial losses if they didn’t sign him for Europe, as would Alonso’s plan on rebuilding the car.

However, Chelsea’s ownership remain convinced of Alonso’s personality and leadership, with his ability to mingle deep-lying, recognizable players with lesser-known talents showing in place. Respect for his playing career is great. Alonso was successful at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and in Spain where he has twice won the European Championships, and once the World Cup. That elite-level experience is seen as pivotal in the way that they can manage the high expectations and challenging dressing room that the Blues have.

At the same time, tactical flexibility was another crucial aspect of Alonso’s importance for Chelsea’s selection. There he earned a reputation for being a coach of highly spirited teams that would control the tempo of the game and load the rest of the teams with pressure but still be able to score in transition. The argument is being put forward by fans of Chelsea, who have given the team words of praise for its lack of direction this season, and with Alonso joining, it seems that will change at the start of this season.

One thing is notable here  and it was suggested Alonso had concerns and concerned ones, about the kind of Chelsea’s owner and chief executive could be  and the talent the Premier League side was bringing in  but these have obviously been addressed in talks. The Spaniard was assured by ‘sources’ on the matter about sporting control and planning long-term before making the move.

Also, with the appointment, expectations are huge at Chelsea anyway despite its current difficulties. Managers won’t be able to leave the Asian giants drifting in the Champions League relegation zone for a third successive season, particularly after spending lots of money on players during the previous transfer windows.

Last but not least, it is not just about another manager changing jobs at the club. For Chelsea, it’s looking like the beginning of a fundamental overhaul of their culture after months of frustration and uncertainty. Leadership, tactical clarity and the return of faith is needed both on and off the pitch.

It’s far from certain whether Alonso will be able to get immediate results with Chelsea and they could well be without campaign in Europe this year. But he came to Bridge with new hope for the Bridge. Xabi Alonso could be the calculated change that may be the answer for a club that has needed to change and find a new sense of self.

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