Xabi Alonso’s first match managing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will be against a club he knows very well, with the announcement today that the Blues will host Real Sociedad on Saturday 15 August.
Following [the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/chelsea-pre-season-tour-2026), this will be the final match preparation ahead of the new Premier League season, which starts the following weekend.
La Liga outfit Real Sociedad are the club where Alonso started his professional playing career, becoming club captain and league runner-up there before moving to the Premier League.
Although Chelsea and Sociedad have never faced each other in a competitive fixture, we did welcome the team from San Sebastian to the Bridge for a pre-season encounter 12 years ago. Freshly signed Diego Costa scored both goals in a 2-0 win.
Kick-off on 15 August is 2pm for this new meeting with a club that won the Copa del Rey last season, spearheaded by Spain’s World Cup-winning centre-forward Mikel Oyarzabal.
The afternoon will also be the first opportunity for Chelsea’s latest signings, and our new manager, to be introduced to the Stamford Bridge supporters.
The match will be available to [view as a live stream via CFC+](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/cfc-watch-section) in all territories, apart from Spain.
Ticket information for this fixture will be announced in due course.