According to a report by Football London on Tuesday October 27, 2026, following a thorough evaluation of all available managerial candidates, Chelsea ultimately appointed Xabi Alonso to the position of head coach, replacing Liam Rosenior.

Even though Chelsea were interested in Andoni Iraola, he stayed with Bournemouth before signing with Liverpool. Even though there may have been other available experienced managers, Alonso ended up being their top pick.

Former Chelsea managers Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte were also accessible prior to Alonso's appointment, giving the club other choices in their leadership search, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

At the time, Mourinho was managing Benfica, but Real Madrid allegedly used a release clause in his contract to get him out of his contract. In the meantime, rumors regarding Conte's future continued unabated as he oversaw Napoli.

Chelsea may have another chance to reevaluate the Italian manager's return to Stamford Bridge after he agreed to leave Napoli at the end of the season.

It was reasonable for Chelsea to choose Alonso over Mourinho or Conte, despite their stellar managerial records, because BlueCo preferred Alonso's playing philosophy.

In his review of Chelsea's play toward the end of the 2023–24 season, former co-owner Todd Boehly lauded the club's attractive style of play, citing their matches against Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United as prime examples.

Boehly went on to say that the game was "fluid and organised," praising Chelsea for their ability to launch attacks from defense, advance the ball up the field, and set up a plethora of scoring chances with their well-coordinated efforts.

Both Mourinho and Conte have had great success as Chelsea managers, but under their watch, the club struggled to maintain possession dominance and instead relied on defensive organization, tactical discipline, and counterattacks.

Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben, and Damien Duff were mainstays in Chelsea's 4-3-3 formations during Mourinho's first stint as manager. This formation combined high-quality offense with impeccable discipline, leaving opponents bewildered.

During Mourinho's tenure as Chelsea manager, the club set a new Premier League record for fewest goals allowed with just fifteen in the 2004–05 campaign.

As an example of his preference for tactical discipline and structure, Antonio Conte introduced a 3-4-2-1 system that, when Chelsea defended, often switched to a back five.

Although Chelsea's recent results have made many wonder if BlueCo's goal of playing attractive, possession-oriented football is being realized, the appointment of Alonso seemed to be in line with that objective.

Despite high hopes following Alonso's appointment, Chelsea were underwhelmed in a 2-0 loss to Tottenham, as they failed to exert enough control over the game and ended up with just 31% possession.

John Obi Mikel, a former Chelsea midfielder, has asked the club's upper management to give Alonso enough time, but if he keeps losing games like the one against Tottenham, the manager could feel even more pressure.