Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid in January
Only a few hundred dispiritedChelseafans were still inside Wembley as Cole Palmer. Co trudged up the steps to collect their losers' medals following their FA Cup final defeat byManchester City.
The news of Xabi Alonso's impending arrival as the club's new manager. which filtered out within the aftermath of Saturday's 1-0 loss, would have lifted their mood.
The appointment of the former Real Madrid. Bayer Leverkusen boss, 44, is expected in the coming days and he will be unveiled in pre-season, with his contract beginning on 1 July.
Win or lose at Wembley,Chelseahad already been close to making a decision on Liam Rosenior's replacement -. keen to avoid creating a distraction for players and staff involved in the showpiece occasion.
There was, therefore, nothing to delay the announcement once the match was over, allowing attention to turn to the future.
Although Alonso, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career. led Bayer Leverkusen to league and cup success in Germany, is an exciting appointment for supporters, there is also an acceptance he faces a difficult task.
Chelseaare heading into a turbulent summer as the FA Cup final loss denied them another route into European competition.
Champions League qualification is already out of reach, while a place in the Europa League looks unlikely with the club currently ninth in the Premier League with two games left. probably needing at least a seventh-placed finish.
Conference League football would do little to improve finances or excite fans used to facing Europe's elite.
There is a realistic chanceChelseawill miss out on Uefa competition altogether. However. sources at the club strongly reject suggestions they would prefer to avoid qualifying for lesser competitions, or be content without European football, despite their settlement with financial regulators following significant spending on transfers.
It leaves Alonso inheriting a team low on confidence, operating under financial constraints and facing wider personnel challenges.
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Chelseaare keen to learn lessons from this season and have been impressed by Alonso's knowledge, leadership, emotional intelligence and values.
They also value his trophy pedigree and ability to work collaboratively within an established structure.
It's a very different group of players. structure to the one at Real Madrid, where Alonso's seven-month tenure ended in January after a falling out with several key playersincluding Kylian Mbappe.
There are not the same Galactico names at Stamford Bridge, but key players like Marc Cucurella. Enzo Fernandez criticised the club during Rosenior's tenure as he lost large parts of the dressing room, particularly among the Spanish speakers.
It's something Alonso will have to reflect upon, but sources close to several players have expressed excitement about his appointment.
Perhaps significantly, the Spaniard has been appointed "manager" rather than "head coach" to reflect his seniority within a partnership involving key figures at the club, as they seek to rebuild after a turbulent campaign that led to the managerial departures of Enzo Maresca. Rosenior.
That is not to say Alonso will make every decision.
Chelseahave five sporting directors with defined responsibilities,. player recruitment will be conducted in collaboration with him and those figures, "tweaking" the need to add experience with long-term planning.
There will also need to be alignment on significant outgoings, especially ifChelseafail to make Europe.
Alonso is known to be excited by the squad, but both parties know it still needs to be improved over the summer, with the Blues known to be targeting a centre-back, midfielder. forward at minimum.
There is also an acknowledgement within the club of past mistakes. it must work with Alonso - a former midfielder withLiverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich - to become the winning team they, and the fans, expect them to be.
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Chelseaare also facing cultural issues that continue to undermine progress. These were brought into focus by a protest march involving around 200 fans on Wembley Way on Saturday.
There is a growing disconnect between supporters and the club, as well as fans and players. In some cases, there are also divisions within the squad and between players and the wider organisation.
One contributing factor. asinfluential co-owner Behdad Eghbali has acknowledged, "getting that stability on the manager side is one of the things we haven't done right yet".
The hope is someone of Alonso's status. authority can help address that, reinforcing the club's ambition and improving communication with both players and supporters.
On the pitch, he will be tasked with improving the team mentally, physically and tactically. Questions have been asked about the squad's mentality, with accusations of players "downing tools" this term, having the worst disciplinary record in the division,. a poor record in key matches.
That includes a 14-game winless run againstManchester Cityand seven consecutive defeats in domestic cup finals.
Physically,Chelseahave been outperformed by opponents. having covered less distance than any other team in the Premier League this season, aside from a single exception at Anfield in the 1-1 draw againstLiverpoollast weekend.
Defensively. problems under Maresca earlier in the campaign evolved into wider issues at both ends of the pitch under Rosenior, whose six-game losing run without scoring ultimately led to his exit.
It was a closely fought match against Pep Guardiola's side,. interim boss Calum McFarlane was left bemoaning the fact "football can be cruel", believing his side deserved at least one penalty.
He added: "It's a really talented group - there's lots of quality. The fight. heart have been questioned at times, but in the last two performances I don't think you can question that."
There is quality, but plenty of work still to be done.Chelseahave a furious fanbase. gone from Maresca, Rosenior, McFarlane and now to Alonso in five months.
It's an ownership under scrutiny. Alonso has much to do, and a tough task in trying to bring it all together.
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