Why Chelsea hired Xabi Alonso now, and what went w...
Key takeaways
- But the ex-Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Madrid midfielder only lasted for 233 days in his role at the Bernabéu, so are the Blues taking a chance?
- ESPN's Mark Ogden and Alex Kirkland explore what went wrong in Madrid, why Chelsea moved for Alonso after sacking Liam Rosenior last month, and what he can bring to the Premier League.
- If you had to pick one, overriding factor to explain Alonso's failure at the Bernabéu, it would be the way his relationship deteriorated with key players during his seven months in charge.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
But the ex-Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Madrid midfielder only lasted for 233 days in his role at the Bernabéu, so are the Blues taking a chance?
ESPN's Mark Ogden and Alex Kirkland explore what went wrong in Madrid, why Chelsea moved for Alonso after sacking Liam Rosenior last month, and what he can bring to the Premier League.
If you had to pick one, overriding factor to explain Alonso's failure at the Bernabéu, it would be the way his relationship deteriorated with key players during his seven months in charge. ESPN reported in January that Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde were three star players who hadn't bought into Alonso's methods.