Xabi Alonso says Chelsea move was ‘a decision from the heart’

Xabi Alonso says his decision to become Chelsea manager was driven by personal conviction and passion for the club’s project, as well as professional considerations.

Chelsea announced that Alonso had taken charge on a contract running until the summer of 2030. The former Real Madrid manager said his move to the Premier League club reflected a shared belief in how the team should develop.

“Accepting the job at Chelsea was a decision from the head and from the heart as well; it has to come from within and from passion,” Alonso said at his first news conference.

He added that he and Chelsea had found common ground in their approach to the game and in their assessment of the work required.

“We were in agreement in our ideas and analysis, and that gave us a starting point to work together,” he said. “That is why we are making decisions together to build a strong team, because that is the ultimate objective.”

Alonso also described the decision to move to London as one made collectively by his family, rather than as an individual choice.

“The decision to move to London was a family decision,” he said. “All important decisions are made collectively. It is not an individual decision to go wherever I want.”

The appointment represents a new stage in Alonso’s managerial career after a difficult spell at Real Madrid. He was dismissed by the Spanish club in January 2026 after taking charge of 34 matches, winning 24, drawing four and losing six.

During his time at Real Madrid, Alonso’s side lost the Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona, suffering a 3-2 defeat before his departure from the club.

Reflecting on that period, Alonso said he had tried to assess both the positive aspects and the parts of his work that had fallen short of expectations.

“When I look back at the past, I keep the positives and review the things that did not go as I wanted,” he said. “I was very hard on myself and thought about what I could have done better, because things certainly did not go as I expected. But you have to move forward.”

Alonso said setbacks could prove valuable in helping a manager improve, suggesting the experience at Real Madrid would inform his work with Chelsea.

“Failures make you a better coach,” he said. “You learn from disappointment and from the things that did not go as you hoped, and you try to make the future better.”

His comments come as he begins work on building a strong Chelsea team, with the new manager stressing that the club’s shared ideas and collective decision-making would shape the project.