SOCCER: Chelsea appoint Xabi Alonso as new manager

Xabi Alonso will take over as Chelsea's new manager, the Premier League club said on Sunday, with the Spaniard signing a four-year deal beginning on July 1.

The former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen manager becomes the fifth permanent appointment under Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.

It marks a return to English football for Alonso, who made 210 appearances for Liverpool as a player before leaving for Real Madrid in 2009 and later ending his playing career with Bayern Munich in 2017.

"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 said in a statement.

"From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.

"There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies."

Chelsea have endured a difficult season, slipping to ninth in the Premier League and facing a long-shot battle to qualify for European competition, after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City on Saturday.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed and Peter Graff/Reuters