Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Xabi Alonso is already building up a bit of a reputation at Chelsea, and he’s only been at the club for just over a month.
Xabi Alonso has conducted himself with professionalism and calm authority throughout Chelsea’s pre-season tour, and his tactics are there for all to see.
However, the Blues’ pre-season fixtures have yielded mixed results, highlighted by a dominant 3-0 victory over AC Milan and a high-scoring 6-4 win against Western Sydney Wanderers, alongside narrow defeats to Tottenham and Juventus, and a 3-3 draw with Johor Darul Ta’zim.
Despite this, over the last couple of games, Chelsea appear to be heading in a new direction under Alonso, aiming to build an intense, possession-heavy, and competitive squad capable of challenging at the top of the Premier League.
Xabi Alonso shows he’s still got it at Chelsea
A report from The Athletic has shed some light on exactly what goes on in a Xabi Alonso training session.
And it’s claimed that the Chelsea players have been wowed by Xabi Alonso’s ability on the ball when he joined in training sessions.
Meanwhile, sources around the squad spoke about how he led training like he “was directing traffic”.
Quite the contrast from Liam Rosenior’s training sessions, where he was called a school teacher by some Chelsea players, as well as doing too much.
Xabi Alonso’s achievements as a player highlight his quality
Xabi Alonso wasn’t just a midfielder; he was one of the best conductors of his era, making the game look like poetry in motion.
Whether he was threading a fifty-yard pass or dictating the tempo of a Champions League final, he played with a rare, effortless kind of genius. You could practically see the wheels turning in his head before anyone else even touched the ball.
Winning the World Cup, two Euros, and European crowns with Liverpool and Real Madrid proved his greatness, but it was his total control that truly made him unforgettable.