Xabi Alonso Reveals How He Healed the Scars from His Real Madrid Era

Xabi Alonso, who has taken over as the manager of Chelsea, has spoken openly for the first time about the deep "scars" left on his career after leaving Real Madrid. Starting a new professional chapter at the London club, the Spanish tactician emphasized that choosing Stamford Bridge is explained by his emotional and professional connection, according to Goal.com reports.

According to ixbt.com, the coach worked in Madrid for just seven months and was dismissed in January of this year following a defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final. Having arrived at the royal club after a historic season with Bayer Leverkusen, this period turned into a difficult test for the manager. Speaking at the pre-season tour presentation in Australia, the 44-year-old manager admitted that it took some time to analyze the failure.

"Fortunately, I don't have many such injuries in my career. Yes, I have a scar, but they heal. Now this wound has healed and I am ready and motivated to enjoy this new step just as I was when I started working in Madrid," the publication quotes the Spanish manager as saying.

Reassessing Tactical Approaches

Stating that he deeply analyzed his coaching style and tactical approaches over the past period, Xabi Alonso noted that he was extremely self-critical. He thoroughly studied what worked and what didn't work during his brief spell at Real Madrid.

"Looking back, I separate the good aspects and the things that didn't work. I was very self-critical because when things didn't go as expected, I thought about what could have been done better," the coach added.

A New Starting Point for Chelsea

This appointment comes at a crucial juncture for the London club. Having gone through three head coaches during the 2025–26 season, Chelsea finished the previous campaign in 10th place. Freed from European competition matches, the team will now focus entirely on domestic success.

According to Xabi Alonso, the difficulties and setbacks faced in Madrid made him a stronger professional. The manager emphasized that this experience has sharpened his perspective and hopes for better results in the future.