Chelsea appoint Xabi Alonso as new manager on 4-year contract

Chelsea have appointed Xabi Alonso as their manager on four-year contract, starting July 1. The 44-year-old had earlier served as Real Madrid manager for seven months before leaving by mutual agreement in January. He'd also been Bayer Leverkusen manager for three years from 2022 to 2025, leading the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2024. Alonso succeeds Liam Rosenior.