Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso joined Liverpool from Barcelona and Real Sociedad, respectively, in 2004 and helped the Reds win the Champions League the following May
Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso were teammates together at Liverpool
Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso were teammates together at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Luis Garcia hopes that his friend Xabi Alonso will be successful at Chelsea — just not at Liverpool's expense.
Alonso raised eyebrows earlier this summer by agreeing to become Chelsea's new head coach. The 44-year-old, who was linked with the Reds job before taking on the Stamford Bridge role, is regarded as a legend on Merseyside after playing more than 200 games for Liverpool and winning several trophies, including the 2005 Champions League.
Therefore, it came as a bit of a shock when Alonso decided to take the Chelsea job and work for one of Liverpool's biggest rivals. The two Premier League giants are expected to go head-to-head for silverware this coming season.
Garcia played alongside Alonso at Anfield, with the pair joining Rafa Benitez's squad during the same transfer window in 2004. They remain close friends to this day, but Garcia only wants Alonso to be successful at Chelsea if the Reds are out of the equation.
"I wish him all the best, but even though I love him, hopefully he ends up second to Liverpool next season," Garcia told BBC Sport.
Alonso will be determined to succeed in the new season after a difficult 2025/26 campaign for both him and Chelsea. The former midfielder became one of Europe's top coaches after winning the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024.
Alonso and Garcia won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005
Alonso and Garcia won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005(Image: Getty Images)
Real Madrid saw Alonso's potential and made him the club's boss around this time last year. Yet the Spanish coach lasted just 34 games in the role before he was dismissed at the beginning of 2026.
Chelsea also endured a tough season. Although the Blues reached the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester City, they finished 10th in the Premier League and went through three different head coaches: Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior and interim boss Calum McFarlane.
Alonso is under pressure to rebuild his managerial reputation at Chelsea.
Garcia's infamous goal
Garcia is best known for scoring a controversial goal for Liverpool against Chelsea en route to winning the 2005 Champions League.
In the days before goal-line technology, Garcia's shot was judged to have crossed the line before Chelsea defender William Gallas hooked the ball away. Video replays suggest the ball may not have actually crossed the line, but the evidence is inconclusive.
It was the only goal of the two-legged tie and booked Liverpool's place in the final. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was left furious with the decision to award the strike, later claiming it was "a goal that wasn't a goal."
The height of Liverpool's rivalry with Chelsea was during the noughties, when they met in five consecutive Champions League campaigns.
If Andoni Iraola is successful at Anfield and Alonso triumphs at Stamford Bridge, that rivalry may just be reignited.