🚨🔵 BREAKING: Enzo Maresca has a total verbal agreement with Manchester City, HERE WE GO!
The Italian manager has always been considered the ideal candidate to replace Pep Guardiola.
Deal in place and Maresca will sign an initial three year deal at #MCFC. 🇮🇹
New era, soon.
Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Xabi Alonso as Manager of the Men’s Team.
The Spaniard will begin his role on July 1, 2026, having agreed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Welcome to Chelsea, Xabi!
It was Chelsea’s idea for Alonso to have title of "manager" instead of "head coach" because they were so impressed with his leadership qualities. He did not ask to have the manager title. Alonso will not be wedded to playing three at the back at Chelsea. He used that formation at Bayer Leverkusen because it suited the players he had in his squad. He is more than happy to play with a back four. Chelsea will play different formations under him.
As things stand, he is unlikely to be at the Spurs game on Tuesday.
The current football leadership structure Chelsea have will remain in place. None of the sporting directors will be leaving. They were all involved in Alonso’s appointment.
Chelsea met with other candidates they were given permission to speak to. They were very impressed with Andoni Iraola and he made a real impression and impact during their conversations.
Chelsea have held multiple meetings with Alonso about all aspects of the job over a number of weeks.
Alonso will be involved in recruitment and Chelsea expect to sign 3/4 players this summer, including a centre back.
Chelsea have no concerns about Alonso’s experience managing Real Madrid. Despite only managing there for a short spell, Alonso had a win percentage of more than 70%, winning 24 of 34 games. Senior figures at Real Madrid gave him glowing references.
He will be officially announced the new Chelsea manager tomorrow (Sunday) and he will start work on 1 July.
Xabi Alonso is expected to be announced on Sunday and will begin his new role on July 1.
He will carry the title of 'manager' not head coach. This is a recognition of his experience and track record, including winning the Bundesliga with Leverkusen.
Alonso was a carefully considered choice by Chelsea's leadership with his coaching quality, trophy pedigree, character, emotional intelligence and leadership all noted during the process.
Alonso is viewed as calm, tactical and capable of building a high-performance culture at a key time for the club.
Chelsea feel their project is heading into a new phase from this summer.
There is an acknowledgement within Chelsea they had to get this appointment right as well as that mistakes have been made this season. Lessons have been learned.
The objective remains getting the club back to competing for the biggest honours, and back in the #UCL.
Alonso will work extremely closely with the sporting directors and owners including in recruitment and squad planning.
Understand Alonso believes the squad is already talented but there are areas to improve this summer.
Chelsea will seek multiple starters this window, including a new centre-back, and will consider signing Premier League ready players.🇪🇸
🚨 Chelsea vs Man City FA Cup Final - My Chosen XI - 3-4-2-1 formation 👀
🇫🇷 Fofana said he’s desperate to win the FA Cup with Chelsea; so prove it..
🏴 Palmer could deliver a big moment at any time, he’s good in finals…
💪 Reece James MUST be on Doku, not Gusto.
What would your team be?
@Afc_lim@Nowfootball@The_Forty_Four No, Arsenal could West Ham players prior to the incident with Raya, rice rugby tackled mavropanos and should have been awarded a penalty. You can’t win anything without cheating
@Nowfootball@The_Forty_Four What sort of groundbreaking discovery do you think you’re gonna hear?
Really as simple as two separate fouls on a goalkeeper trying to claim a cross. End of.
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczęsny during Barcelona's bus parade:
🚨🗣️ Szczęsny: "My league-winning percentage with Barcelona is 100%, I’ve won 2 out of 2... Yours is 75%, Lewy (3/4)!"
🚨🗣️ Lewandowski: “With Bayern Munich, my percentage was 100%..."
🚨🗣️ Szczęsny: “With Arsenal, mine was also 100%… but of NOT winning." *laughs*
🚨Excl : West Ham United are internally discussing the possibility of filing an official complaint to the Premier League over refereeing decisions in their crucial clash against Arsenal.
Serious concerns behind the scenes. 👀
Gary Neville:
🗣️ “Deary me… Vicario has to be stronger there. It’s really poor.”
Also Gary Neville:
🗣️ “His arm is on David Raya… you cannot do that. It must be ruled out.”
🚨🚨 BREAKING
Antonio Rudiger has just been denied entry to Valdebebas and is currently being detained by security as he was found to have a knife hidden down his sock.
More updates to follow.
@marca
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: José Mourinho has made some BOLD requests in order to return to Real Madrid:
• Full control over the starting line-ups, squad management, and dressing room management.
• No interventions from the club hierarchy.
• He wants a two-year contract.
• He wants his own technical team with him.
• He demands changes in the current squad.
• Up to seven players that do not fit his concept could leave.
• He demands more control over the fitness team due to injury concerns.
• He only wants to communicate with Florentino Perez, and not other club hierarchies.
• He wants to control the summer pre-season plans.
— @goal
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: People are claiming Lamine Yamal won 3 Player of the Month (POTM) awards in one season while Ronaldo "only" won 3 in 9 years.
Here is the context they are conveniently leaving out:
• The Award Didn't Exist: The La Liga Player of the Month award was only established in September 2013.
• The Missing Years: Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009. This means for his first 4 prime seasons, there was no award to win. He scored 146 goals in that period with zero chance at a POTM trophy.
• The Record at Departure: When Cristiano left La Liga in 2018, he had 3 POTM awards which was the joint-record at the time, shared with Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi.
It’s easy to manipulate stats when you ignore history.
Stop talking if you don't know the history. 🤫