Chelsea's "self-reflection" period seems to have led to a major change in development orientation. After firing Liam Rosenior, the London team once declared that they would aim for "stability" and a "suitable long-term appointment".
The recruitment of Xabi Alonso is therefore seen as a stronger statement than any other message that Chelsea can send to fans who are gradually losing patience.
The former Liverpool midfielder is a name with great weight, especially after impressive successes with Bayer Leverkusen. Although unsuccessful at Real Madrid, Alonso is still trusted by Chelsea to be capable of bringing this team back to the top position of English and European football.
According to assessments from Chelsea's leadership, Alonso made a strong impression thanks to his high working standards, long-term strategic thinking and ambition to comprehensively rebuild the club's culture after a season considered disappointing.
The former Spanish international once helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title and also has a deep understanding of English football after a successful period at Liverpool.
The Blues believe that Alonso is not only an excellent strategist but also has the ability to connect with players and adapt well to the modern management model of the club - where the Sporting Directors play an important role in the team building process.
Currently, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are leading the system of 5 Chelsea Sports Directors. The appointment of Alonso also clearly reflects the efforts of Chelsea owners to correct mistakes after a series of unstable decisions under Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly.
Notably, Alonso will become Chelsea's sixth head coach since BlueCo took over the club, after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Rosenior.
Among these, Tuchel and Pochettino are considered the highest-class names. However, after Pochettino's departure, Chelsea switched to prioritizing young, easy-to-control coaches who are suitable for the club's young player development project.
Maresca was brought in after helping Leicester get promoted to the Premier League, while Rosenior was promoted from Strasbourg - a partner club in the BlueCo system.
Although Maresca helped Chelsea win tickets to the Champions League, UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, he still could not keep his position due to disagreements related to player transfers.
In the eyes of many Chelsea fans, the team is gradually losing its image as a top European power. After the defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Chelsea is also facing the risk of not being able to participate in European cups next season - something that was once considered unimaginable at Stamford Bridge.
The dissatisfaction of fans is growing. A protest group even held a parade at Wembley before the FA Cup final to protest the owners. Not only Boehly and Eghbali, the scouting department and the Sports Director system were also criticized for continuously recruiting young unknown players with long-term contracts but not bringing about clear results.
In that context, the appointment of Alonso is seen as a clear recognition that Chelsea's current strategy needs to change.
Alonso is highly appreciated not only for his tactical thinking but also for his intelligence and team building ability. Chelsea's persuasion of him to join also shows that the Spanish strategist believes in the revival plan that the team is pursuing.
