A new footballing era awaits in West London with Xabi Alonso taking charge of Chelsea from the 2026/27 season onwards. This would be the Spaniard’s third full-time role at the helm, with previous stints at Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.
Alonso has broken new ground at the club before the season has even begun. The 44-year-old’s contract names him as manager instead of just head coach, unlike the eight previous men that have led Chelsea since Todd Boehly bought the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
The wide-ranging label is expected to allow Alonso a greater say in squad and backroom composition during his tenure in London. And with the Premier League kickoff less than a month away, speculation is already rife over his choices, especially after being spotted with Gary Cahill recently.
Alonso has retained four men in the coaching staff from his time in Madrid, namely Sebastian Parilla, Alberto Encinas, Benat Labaien, and Camenforte Lopez.
Parilla has worked as Alonso’s assistant since the latter started his coaching career in 2018. Encinas and fitness specialist Lopez were also part of Alonso’s staff during his time in Leverkusen, while Labaien made himself indispensable to the Spaniard in Madrid.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s in-house assistant manager Calum McFarlane has also been retained by Xabi and the club. McFarlane has already served two stints as interim manager in 2026, and was in charge for the end of the season following Liam Rosenior’s departure.
Goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts is another Chelsea faithful that is set to remain and extend his four year stay with the Blues. Set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva marks the last of a retained trio, given the Mexican’s burgeoning reputation in the Premier League and beyond.
Despite the large staff already, Alonso has shown no signs of staffing. Over the last week, he has added another set-piece specialist Austin MacPhee and tactical analyst Miguel Munoz to his backroom.
MacPhee last season helped Aston Villa score nearly 30 goals from dead ball situations, and brought to an end a five-year stint in Birmingham. Munoz, on the other hand, has worked with several clubs in La Liga, his most recent role coming under Marcelino at Villareal.
Unfortunately for fans, all those appointments have left little room for former club captain Cahill in Alonso’s team. The duo were pictured with each other during Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia, but the two men are serving very different roles for the club.
While Alonso will be bothered with getting the team in shape on the field before the new season begins, Cahill’s presence is expected to boost Chelsea’s commercial presence. The Englishman continues to be associated with the club as a brand ambassador, years after leaving as a player in 2019.
When Chelsea underwent training in Sydney, Cahill was present at a specially organized youth tournament at the ACU Strathfield Campus featuring 48 local teams. The club legend spoke to young players at length and proffered advice given the wealth of experience at his disposal.
Cahill spent seven years with the Blues racking up nearly 200 appearances and in the process cemented himself as a defensive stalwart. He lifted the UEFA Champions League in his debut season, followed by success in the Europa League and two Premier Leagues to boot.
More importantly, Cahill was a much loved figure amongst Chelsea fans due to his exemplary professionalism and commitment to the club. His technical abilities also helped Cahill keep pace with the evolving modern game, and is the perfect candidate to represent the club as one of its faces.
Cahill will likely remain with the Blues as they take on Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur in Australia. Thereafter, Chelsea will head to Asia for the final leg of their pre-season where they’ll face the likes of Juventus and AC Milan.
However, Cahill is expected to merely look on from the stands next season while Alonso sets about trying to revive fortunes at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have finished outside the top four thrice in the last four seasons, and last lifted the Premier League when Cahill was still their player in 2016/17.
