The Athletic reveals what really happened between Xabi Alonso and Liverpool
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from DaveOCKOP or go back to LFC Live.
Xabi Alonso and Liverpool appeared a match made in heaven, but the Spaniard is instead Chelsea-bound ahead of next season. Image Credits: Imago ImagesXabi Alonso’s switch to Chelsea has been one of the most talked-about managerial appointments in recent Premier League memory.
Over the weekend, Chelsea Football Club officially confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new men’s team manager, ending weeks of speculation over their managerial role.The 44-year-old Spaniard has signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge and will officially begin his role on July 1, 2026, taking over a Chelsea side low on confidence.Alonso had been out of management since parting ways with Real Madrid in January, having spent less than eight months of a three-year deal at the Bernabeu.In his first statement as Chelsea boss, Alonso did not hold back on his ambition: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club. Alonso, who spent five years at Anfield between 2004 and 2009 and became a true icon of the club, will now sit in the away dugout at Anfield as the manager of one of Liverpool’s biggest rivals.
Social media lit up with frustrated and heartbroken responses from the Kop faithful.However, according to the Athletic, the idea of Liverpool and Alonso being reunited was always more fan speculation than actual reality – and that he was not offered the role when Jurgen Klopp departed in 2024:“Alonso is beloved in Liverpool, but senior club sources insist his candidacy for the manager’s job at Anfield has always been overstated,” reported four Athletic journalists including Mario Cortegana and James Pearce.“He was not offered the role two years ago; at the time, he made it clear that he wanted to lead Leverkusen into the Champions League. Liverpool’s stance gave Chelsea a free run at Alonso and, with the Spaniard signalling mutual interest, they moved quickly to secure his appointment.”In the end, the reality appears far less dramatic than many Liverpool fans may have hoped.Alonso’s move to Chelsea will still sting because of his connection to Anfield, but the bigger picture is that Liverpool never truly viewed him as the obvious next man for the job.For supporters, that may not make seeing a club legend in the Chelsea dugout any easier, but it does help explain why this story unfolded the way it did Chelsea FC Xabi Alonso