Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso confirmed that his decision to take charge of the English team was not based solely on professional considerations, noting that it stemmed from personal conviction and passion for the project.
Chelsea announced that Xabi Alonso would assume the role of coaching the team under a contract running until the summer of 2030.
Alonso said at the press conference about his reason for coaching Chelsea: "The decision to accept the Chelsea job came from both the mind and the heart; it must come from within and from passion."
He continued, "We agreed on the ideas and analysis, which gave us a starting point to work together, so we make decisions together to build a strong team; that is the ultimate goal."
He added, "The decision to move to London was a family decision; all important decisions are collective, not an individual choice to go wherever I want."
Regarding his time coaching Real Madrid, he said: "When I look back, I keep the positives and review the things that did not go as I wanted. I was very harsh in criticizing myself and thought about what I could have done better, because things certainly did not go as I expected, but you have to move forward."
He concluded, "Failures make you a better coach; you learn from disappointment and from the things that did not go as you hoped, and you try to make the future better."
Xabi Alonso was dismissed from coaching Real Madrid in January 2026 after managing the team in 34 matches, achieving 24 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses.
He lost the Spanish Super Cup title with Real Madrid to Barcelona after a 3-2 defeat before being dismissed from coaching Real Madrid.