Despite the high stakes of the upcoming FA Cup final, reports suggest that Xabi Alonso’s interest in the Chelsea project isn’t strictly contingent on European football.
Chelsea’s path to European football currently has two distinct routes. Following the 1-1 draw at Anfield, the Blues sit in ninth place with 49 points and two games remaining. While they are mathematically capable of catching sixth-placed Bournemouth (55 points), they effectively need a perfect finish and a total collapse from the three teams directly above them, Brighton, Brentford, and Bournemouth, to secure a Europa League spot via the league table.
However, the most direct route remains the FA Cup final against Manchester City this Saturday. A victory at Wembley would bypass all league permutations, granting Chelsea an automatic ticket to the Europa League group stages regardless of their final domestic standing.
If City wins the trophy, their Europa League spot will trickle down to seventh in the Premier League, with eighth place earning a Conference League berth.
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Xabi Alonso is open to taking the Chelsea job with no Europe
Interestingly, it has been reported by Diario AS that Xabi Alonso won’t be put off by no European football for Chelsea if they fail to win the FA Cup final this weekend.
The report also states that the Blues have reached out to Alonso about becoming the next manager at Stamford Bridge, with the club wanting a young, method‑driven coach.
He is listening to the proposal, and if he wants the job, it’s essentially his.
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Chelsea missing out on Europe may not be a bad thing
Chelsea’s current position of ninth place makes a season without European football a very real possibility. While missing out on the Europa League would be a financial blow, it could provide a blessing for a club in total transition.
A domestic-only fixture list would grant a new manager, potentially Xabi Alonso, the luxury of full training weeks to implement a system without the relentless Thursday-Sunday travel cycle.
This uninterrupted time on the grass is exactly how Alonso transformed Leverkusen from a relegation-threatened side into silverware challengers.
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