Alonso: The potential of the young squad attracted me to Chelsea

Alonso: The potential of the young squad attracted me to Chelsea

Xabi Alonso says the potential in Chelsea's young squad was a key factor in him taking the coaching job at Stamford Bridge. Alonso agreed a four-year deal with the Blues in May and officially took up his post on Thursday as players returned for pre-season training. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach's signing comes after a tumultuous season that saw Chelsea part ways with both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. Calum McFarlane had two spells as interim manager, the second of which ended with a 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup final against Manchester City. Alonso had built a reputation as a coach in Germany by leading Leverkusen to an undefeated championship and DFB Cup victory in the 2023-24 season, although the team lost the Europa League final to Atalanta. However, he only lasted half a season in Madrid, with rumors of unrest behind the scenes leading to his dismissal in January after winning 24 of 34 games (70.6%). Alonso's historical links to Liverpool, where he played a total of 210 games between 2004 and 2009, caused some surprise when he moved to Chelsea. But with Todd Boehly's regime having spent over £1.5 billion on transfers since 2022, mostly on young players, Alonso is excited about the resources at his disposal. “Te "It's a great club, one of the best in the world, with great success over the last few decades," he told Chelsea's club website. "It's a great privilege to be part of it and now I'm looking forward to the challenge. The message is we want to share this belief that good things will come when we are together and develop this strength. It has to come from us to bring the energy, but together we can achieve great things in the years to come. I was very excited by the potential of the team and the squad, I wanted to find a squad to work with, develop a football idea and bring excitement to the stadium and connect with the fans. Chelsea have already been active in the transfer market, signing Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda, whose signing dates back to a previous contract. The transfer fees for the two players amount to a total of 91 million pounds (107 million euros). The average age of the players Chelsea fielded in the Premier League last season was 25 years and 12 days. Throughout the season, 16 different players who are currently under 24 received minutes of action at Chelsea. None of the players who played for Chelsea last season were aged 30 or over. In addition, of the ten players who played the most minutes for the Blues en, seven reached the club before they turned 24. Alonso's first competitive game on the sidelines will be a short away visit to Fulham on August 24. The Cottagers recently signed Alvaro Arbeloa, who was Alonso's predecessor at Real Madrid.