New Chelsea Xabi Alonso has broken his silence on the "scars" left by his brutal departure from Real Madrid as he begins a fresh chapter in the Premier League. The Spaniard, now tasked with reviving The Blues' fortunes, admitted that his decision to move to Stamford Bridge was driven by a deep emotional and professional connection.
The former Bayer Leverkusen mastermind arrived at the Bernabeu with a massive reputation but lasted just seven months before being dismissed in January following a Supercopa de Espana final defeat to Clasico rivals Barcelona.
Speaking at the launch of Chelsea's preseason tour in Australia, Alonso was candid about his need to process the failure before returning to the dugout. "Luckily there are not too many scars in my career," he told reporters. "So, OK, I got a scar, but this heals. Now it is healed, and I am very motivated and determined to enjoy this next step as I did when I started in Madrid."
Despite the abrupt end to his dream job in Spain, the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder insists he has used the downtime to evaluate his tactical and managerial approach. The 44-year-old took over at Madrid after leading Leverkusen to a historic unbeaten domestic double, but he found the environment at the Bernabeu far more combustible.
The new Blues boss highlighted that his self-reflection has been thorough, looking at every aspect of his coaching style. "Looking back, I take the positives and the things that didn't work," he added. "I have been very critical of myself, thinking about what I could have done better because it did not go as expected."
Regarding the positives of his time in Madrid, he noted: "There are many experiences, the adaptation I had to do, some things that worked and some things that did not in terms of the game, in terms of the man-management. It is a mixture of everything.
Asked whether the Bernabeu setback has ultimately made him a better manager, the Spaniard emphatically insisted that the experience has only sharpened his perspective. Alonso said: "Because you learn from the disappointment of things that were not meant to be and you try to think that things will be better."
Alonso’s appointment comes at a critical juncture for Chelsea, who went through three different managers during the 2025-26 campaign. Without the distraction of European football after finishing 10th last season, the Spaniard is focused entirely on a domestic resurgence.
Reflecting on the thought process that led him to the Stamford Bridge outfit, Alonso said: "It had to be a lot from here and also from here," while pointing to his heart and his gut. "I saw it was good timing from the club, good timing for myself, a good opportunity. It is a team that has played really well recently and the situation was not as bad as it looked at the end of last season. There is a big potential to improve and let’s see how long [it takes]."
