The blow of losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City has been somewhat softened for Chelsea fans by news that they’re on the cusp of signing Xabi Alonso as their new manager.
Antoine Semenyo’s sublime second-half finish was the only goal of Sunday morning’s (AEST) FA Cup decider, the 1-0 result ensuring Pep Guardiola’s side won’t end this season empty-handed no matter what happens in the last two rounds of the Premier League season.
While Chelsea put in an improved performance at Wembley compared to what they have dished up in recent weeks, it was still the London club’s third game in a row without a win. More worryingly, outside of wins against Premier League strugglers Leeds, League One side Port Vale and Championship club Wrexham in the previous three rounds of the FA Cup, the Blues haven’t tasted victory since early March.
The run of poor results cost previous manager Liam Rosenior his job, after he replaced Enzo Maresca in January. Calum McFarlane led Chelsea in the FA Cup decider, having taken charge on an interim basis following Rosenior’s departure, but it looks like a long-term solution is about to be locked in.
The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano were just two of many outlets reporting overnight that Chelsea have agreed to terms with Xabi Alonso, with an official announcement imminent.
It would be a real coup to sign a manager of Alonso’s reputation, which is mostly still in tact despite his struggles at Real Madrid earlier this season, where he was forced out after barely six months in charge.
He remains one of the most in-demand coaches in Europe thanks to his amazing feats with Bayer Leverkusen, where he was able to break Bayern Munich’s stranglehold on the Bundesliga while also setting a record for games unbeaten, with their 51-match streak only broken by defeat in the Europe League final.
🚨🔵 Xabi Alonso signed his contract earlier today at Chelsea, everything completed. ✍🏼
The agreement until June 2030 is done, sealed and will be announced in the next hours.
Xabi’s contract to run from July 1st but set to start working immediately also on transfers. pic.twitter.com/m1jPhYviku — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 16, 2026
There have been rumours that Alonso could be headed for Liverpool, a club he played 143 games for from 2004 to 2009, with Arne Slot coming under increasing pressure after a poor campaign for the Reds.
But it appears Chelsea have beaten their Premier League rivals to the punch, with The Athletic claiming a four-year contract has been finalised.
Whether he ends up coaching against Guardiola remains to be seen, with the City boss’s future still up in the air.
Many believe he will choose this moment to walk away from a club he has been with for a decade, following fellow club veterans Bernardo Silva and John Stones out the door.
But he was non-committal after Semenyo’s brilliant goal handed Guardiola the 20th trophy of his incredible reign.