Xabi Alonso walks into the Drake Suite at Stamford Bridge. He sits down at the press conference table, takes a sip of water and looks at the gathered media in front of him. Then comes the smile. A smile that doesn’t leave the Spaniard’s face throughout the next 30 minutes of questioning.
He’s being officially unveiled to the media as Chelsea’s new manager, after arriving earlier this month to begin work at Cobham. It’s a job he’s clearly excited to dive into, and his answers to the press say as much.
Alonso covers a number of topics in his press conference but the theme that continuously comes to the fore is how enthusiastic he is to get started at such a ‘great club’ as Chelsea.
‘Firstly, I want to say thank you to everyone for the welcome,’ Alonso explains in his opening answer. ‘The excitement [for taking the job] is very simple, it’s the club, the squad, and the opportunity to come to this great club.
‘I want to be part of this club, working together with the sporting directors, with the players and with the staff around me in Cobham.
‘We want to create excitement [in the team], to have that bond with the supporters and to win games and be successful.
‘I see this as a club with great potential. There is a strong base here already and now we want to keep building to ensure we are competitive on the pitch.’
Alonso is no stranger to the Premier League, but he’s more commonly remembered for wearing a red shirt than being in blue, following his days as a player at Liverpool.
Those days are behind him now though, and as a coach he’s fully focused on carving out success at Stamford Bridge.
Returning to England, and the Premier League, is something that always appealed to Xabi and he highlighted to the media at how ‘honoured’ he is to get to work with the Blues.
‘The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world right now,’ added the Spaniard.
‘It’s a challenge to come here, to come back to the league, in my managerial career but one I’m really excited about accepting and improving and learning together.
‘The history of Chelsea is there [for all to see]. Not just because of the success, but because of all the great players that they have played here and so many great managers that have been here.
‘I feel really honoured and privileged [to be here] and I can’t wait to get to work.’
CFC+ is the new home of our premium video content, with subscriptions costing just £14.99 for the year. With that, you’ll be able to access all our video content – including an exclusive interview with Alonso and behind-the-scenes content from Cobham – as well as being able to stream ALL our pre-season games this summer. Subscribe today and get premium access for the entire season!