Xabi Alonso has been unveiled as Chelsea's new manager, becoming the sixth permanent head of the club's dugout in the four turbulent years since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach, one of the most decorated midfielders of his generation, has signed a four-year deal and expressed optimism that he can succeed where predecessors such as Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior faltered, despite inheriting a club synonymous with managerial upheaval.

Alonso takes charge after Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and face at least a year without European football, having collapsed from a Champions League qualification position after Maresca's mid-season departure. He faces immediate challenges including Enzo Fernández, a £106m midfielder linked with a move away (prompting Real Madrid to deny interest), and Cole Palmer, whose injury-hit decline saw him left out of England's World Cup squad. Alonso, who was given the title of "manager" rather than "head coach", says he is working closely with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart and does not believe wholesale changes are needed, though the squad has also been criticised for its youth, lack of leadership and discipline issues.