Currently, it feels likely that Chelsea could announce Xabi Alonso as their next permanent manager, and Carlo Ancelotti has already explained why he will be a success at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso is the front-runner for the Chelsea job with BlueCo and the club’s supporters are hopeful he will sign on the dotted line. Murmurs of Alonso waiting for the Liverpool job are alive, but without substance.
Xabi Alonso just screams Chelsea manager 😍
Xabi Alonso quote
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David Ornstein confirms Liverpool will not be parting ways with Arne Slot, and are not considering a change in the dugout. The main concern for Chelsea is whether Alonso now waits for the Liverpool job.
Guillem Balague claims that it is a possibility that Alonso takes a year out and waits for Slot to lose his role as Reds manager. But if he does join Chelsea, Ancelotti’s past praise suggests he will be a success.
What Carlo Ancelotti has said about Xabi Alonso in the past
Former Chelsea boss Ancelotti was quizzed about Alonso in the final weeks of 2024-25, with the then-Bayer Leverkusen manager rumoured as his replacement. Ancelotti has since become the Brazil manager.
Xabi Alonso, Head Coach of Real Madrid, looks on
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Alonso lasted half a season in the Madrid job, winning 24 of 34 matches. Before his move to Madrid, Ancelotti heaped praise on the man who could potentially fill the vacancy at Chelsea next season.
Ancelotti said Alonso “has done an incredible job and he has the doors open to him because he has shown he is one of the best in the world”, as quoted by BBC Sport in May 2025, prior to his appointment.
How Frank Lampard once broke Xabi Alonso’s ankle
Just half a season into his five-year stint at Liverpool, £10.5m signing Alonso was forced off the field during Liverpool’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea in January 2005. A tackle by Frank Lampard broke Alonso’s ankle.
Chelsea Player of the Season – Semi-Final 2!
It was the start of a Chelsea-Liverpool rivalry that would include a Champions League semi-final clash including Luis Garcia’s ghost goal, the Steven Gerrard saga and the Jose Mourinho v Rafa Benitez scrap.
Luckily for Alonso, he would return towards the end of the season and prove fit for the final few weeks, in which Liverpool produced their stunning Istanbul comeback and Alonso scored the first of three goals.
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