Almería

Xabi Alonso set to secure second Chelsea signing as £35m star approves transfer

Incoming Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) Xabi Alonso is closing in on his second Chelsea signing after sanctioning a move for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix. Former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Alonso officially takes over at Stamford Bridge next month after his appointment on a four-year deal. Alonso, one of the best players of his generation and a highly-rated coach, agreed a deal with Chelsea after the sacking of Liam Rosenior. While the Spanish football legend is still waiting to officially take charge of Chelsea, he has been busy helping the Blues work on their summer recruitment. Alonso is believed to have played an integral role in Chelsea’s first summer signing, a £51m deal for Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra. Inter Milan were leading the race to sign the 21-year-old Italy international but Chelsea hijacked the deal and Alonso helped convince Palestra to move to west London. Alonso, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, has also sanctioned Chelsea’s move for Palace star Lacroix. Maxence Lacroix has impressed for Crystal Palace (Picture: Getty) Chelsea are keen to bring some proven Premier League players to Stamford Bridge following a desperately disappointing season and Lacroix fits the bill. The France international has made 70 Premier League appearances over the past two seasons, helping Crystal Palace win the FA Cup and Conference League. Romano says Chelsea have opened talks with Palace over a deal for the 26-year-old, who has indicated he is ‘keen’ to join the Premier League giants. Marco Palestra is set to become Chelsea’s first summer signing (Picture: Getty) Personal terms are not expected to be an issue as Lacroix is hoping to move to Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea would still need to agree a deal with London rivals Palace. It was reported by French outlet RMC Sport earlier this month that Crystal Palace would want at least £35m to sell Lacroix and are under no pressure to offload him. But Chelsea are confident of securing his signature given his desire to join the club and be part of Alonso’s project. Alonso’s priority is bolstering his defensive options as Marc Cucurella has joined Real Madrid and both Malo Gusto and Trevoh Chalobah have been linked with summer exits. Gusto is believed to be of interest to new Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca, who left Chelsea in January, while former Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas – now in charge of Como – wants to sign Chalobah. After strengthening in defence, Alonso could seek a couple of midfield and attacker signings, with Chelsea one of a number of teams interested in England’s Morgan Rogers. Alonso takes over a Chelsea side that finished just 10th in the Premier League last season, far closer to the relegation zone in terms of points than champions Arsenal. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2026-06-25

Gary O’Neil set to leave Strasbourg and take over as Ipswich head coach

Gary O’Neil is poised to become Ipswich’s new head coach, with the 43-year-old expected to return to England from Ligue 1 Strasbourg. There are only minor details to sort with O’Neil primed to succeed Kieran McKenna, who announced his wish to depart Ipswich after leading them to the top flight for a second time. O’Neil joined Strasbourg, part of the BlueCo stable that owns Chelsea, in January, replacing Liam Rosenior, who accepted the Chelsea job after Enzo Maresca’s exit. Last season, O’Neil led Strasbourg to eighth in Ligue 1 and they reached the semi-finals of the Conference League, in which they lost to Rayo Vallecano. Last November, O’Neil came close to returning to Wolves, his last job in the Premier League, but pulled out at the 11th hour amid reservations. O’Neil has a longstanding relationship with Ipswich’s chief executive, Mark Ashton, who was involved in his signing at Bristol City, O’Neil’s penultimate club during his playing career. He counts Ipswich’s rivals Norwich among his former clubs as a player and last year he held talks with Southampton despite beginning his career at Portsmouth. Elsewhere, Burnley are pushing for Craig Bellamy to be their next head coach after contacting the Football Association of Wales in order to land their No 1 target. Burnley are seeking to replace Scott Parker after relegation to the Championship and were interested in Russell Martin, who has taken charge at Leicester City. Bellamy previously worked as an assistant to Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor and briefly worked as an interim head coach when Kompany departed for Bayern Munich in 2024. Bellamy recently stated his desire to lead Wales at Euro 2028, which will begin in Cardiff, amid interest from Celtic, but he has also made no secret of the fact that he is attracted by the prospect of club management. “Wales gave me this opportunity and one or two might not have because I was conscious I haven’t managed before,” Bellamy said this month. “It’s the best role in the world.”

2026-06-19

Four Real Madrid stars Xabi Alonso could bring to Chelsea if he takes over as manager

Chelsea could reap the rewards of Xabi Alonso's extensive football network should he take the reins at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are once more in search of a permanent manager following Liam Rosenior's dismissal last month and Alonso is on the market after departing Real Madrid in January. The Athletic has reported decision-makers in west London are already weighing up a move to secure Alonso as Chelsea's new head coach. Liverpool legend Alonso is believed to be open to the prospect, though Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola remains another serious candidate for the position. The ex-Bayer Leverkusen chief and Bundesliga-winning manager would be looking to resurrect his own career in the capital. Yet his arrival could unlock some welcome benefits in the transfer market, with several potential reunions on the cards this summer. FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news and more on our dedicated Facebook page One defining feature of the Todd Boehly era at Chelsea has been snapping up young, creative attacking talent. The Blues haven't strictly required all those brought through the door but Arda Guler carries a greater likelihood of delivering returns than most. The Turkey international is one asset Alonso would undoubtedly be eager to link up with again given his glowing assessment of the 21-year-old. The manager gave Guler opportunities across a variety of positions shortly after taking charge in Madrid, making it a priority to fit him into the side whether as a No. 10, out wide on either flank or in central midfield. "With his quality, he's a mix between [Mesut] Ozil and Guti," Alonso said of the youngster in October, drawing comparisons with two of his former Real team-mates. "Guti had that vision and finesse to link play or operate closer to goal and with Mesut I enjoyed football so much. Arda has that something special - that natural talent you can't teach." In that respect, Guler bears a striking resemblance to Cole Palmer, a naturally gifted player you simply slot into the starting XI wherever possible. That sort of adaptability could prove priceless given how acutely Chelsea felt Palmer's absence during his injury spells this season, offering crucial cover in attacking midfield and across the forward line. Recent events at the Bernabeu could mean Aurelien Tchouameni is shortly put up for sale. The Frenchman was linked with Chelsea years before his training ground altercation with Real captain Federico Valverde, which resulted in the Uruguayan being taken to hospital . Each player received a record-breaking €500,000 (£434,000) fine for their part in tarnishing the Real name. And should Los Blancos opt to offload one of the stars to settle the issue, it makes sense captain Valverde would be the priority to keep in Madrid. Central midfield isn't the most pressing concern for Chelsea following the emergence of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos as a capable trio of late. That said, with Fernandez nodding to a possible departure in March and Romeo Lavia's well-documented fitness woes, bringing in one more quality addition to the engine room appears a prudent move. The fact Tchouameni has only two years remaining on his deal, coupled with his recent controversy, could work in Chelsea's favour when it comes to securing the player at a discounted price. The 26-year-old has been a regular fixture in Real's midfield under both Alonso and successor Alvaro Arbeloa, indicating the Blues might be landing a bargain if he's deemed expendable this summer. Chelsea's backline simply hasn't looked the same since Thiago Silva left the club in 2024. Much in the same vein, David Alaba could be the seasoned, authoritative presence needed to guide and galvanise some of the club's younger defensive talents this summer. The Austrian, who turns 34 in June, is out of contract that same month and will be available on a free transfer. And while injuries have hampered his involvement in recent seasons, there could still be considerable value in securing his signature if he can maintain his fitness. Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Josh Acheampong, Mamadou Sarr and others would have a great deal to gain from Alaba's defensive wisdom. Not to mention the significant benefit the veteran could bring in helping certain players clean up their disciplinary act and passing on his expertise in keeping a cool head under pressure. A breakthrough campaign in Madrid could nevertheless conclude with Gonzalo Garcia departing Real this summer. Reports suggest Los Blancos are keen to cash in on the player's growing reputation given he is unlikely to displace Kylian Mbappe as the first-choice striker. As it happens, Garcia netted the opening goal of the Alonso era at Real during last year's FIFA Club World Cup. The 22-year-old has since gone on to score six times and contribute three assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, though only 13 of those were starts. The Liam Delap experiment has yet to bear fruit at Stamford Bridge following a disappointing debut season in west London. And aside from Joao Pedro, who arguably flourishes more when operating off a centre forward, Chelsea look somewhat short of options in attack. Much like Julian Alvarez's departure from Manchester City after finding Erling Haaland an insurmountable obstacle, Garcia could opt to leave Real in pursuit of more regular first-team football. Chelsea could find themselves the fortunate recipients of a young talent who has shown flashes of world-class finishing over the past 12 months.

2026-05-13

Chelsea optimistic about luring Xabi Alonso but are also eyeing Andoni Iraola

Chelsea have held encouraging discussions over a move for Xabi Alonso but are keeping their options open and are closely monitoring Andoni Iraola’s situation. The west London club are looking for a permanent head coach and it is understood that Alonso and Iraola have emerged as the top picks for the role. Other managers are still under consideration, though, and Chelsea are not expected to rush a final decision on who to appoint. Chelsea, who made Calum McFarlane interim head coach until the end of the season after firing Liam Rosenior last month, have also looked at Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and the former Flamengo manager Filipe Luís. Silva is out of contract at the end of the season and Glasner will leave Palace after the Conference League final later this month. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy is confident of attracting their favoured candidate and there is optimism over how early talks with Alonso’s camp have gone. The 44-year-old, who announced himself as one of the best young managers in Europe when he won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid earlier this season and has been on Chelsea’s radar for at least three years. There is a feeling inside Chelsea that Alonso’s style of play would make him suited to their young squad. The former Spain midfielder’s standing within the game would help him control the dressing room and could also help with attracting players to the club. The unknown is whether Alonso decides to move to England now or opts to take a break. But suggestions that he is waiting to see if the Liverpool role becomes open soon have been exaggerated. The current sense is that the Merseysiders will stick with Arne Slot this summer, although that is yet to be confirmed. Alonso is fondly remembered at Liverpool after playing for them between 2004 and 2009, winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup the following year. Chelsea entered a period of “self-reflection” after Rosenior was fired three and a half months after replacing Enzo Maresca. Something that has been acknowledged by the recruitment department is the need for the team to become more physical. That heightens the appeal of Iraola, whose Bournemouth side are one of the most intense in the Premier League. Chelsea have met Iraola to talk to him about the role. There is respect for the Spaniard’s work with Bournemouth and a sense that he is more than capable of taking on a big job. Iraola has responded to Bournemouth losing a number of key players in defence and attack during the past year by putting them in contention for Champions League qualification. The south coast club are four points off the top five with two games left. It is understood that Iraola has also met with Manchester United, although the current indications are that they will stick with Michael Carrick. Bournemouth are six points clear of Chelsea, who are desperately trying to rescue a disappointing season by snatching European qualification. McFarlane will be in the dugout when Chelsea face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

2026-05-12

Chelsea optimistic about luring Xabi Alonso but are also eyeing Andoni Iraola

Chelsea have held encouraging discussions over a move for Xabi Alonso but are keeping their options open and are closely monitoring Andoni Iraola’s situation. The west London club are looking for a permanent head coach and it is understood that Alonso and Iraola have emerged as the top picks for the role. Other managers are still under consideration, though, and Chelsea are not expected to rush a final decision on who to appoint. Chelsea, who made Calum McFarlane interim head coach until the end of the season after firing Liam Rosenior last month, have also looked at Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and the former Flamengo manager Filipe Luís. Silva is out of contract at the end of the season and Glasner will leave Palace after the Conference League final later this month. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy is confident of attracting their favoured candidate and there is optimism over how early talks with Alonso’s camp have gone. The 44-year-old, who announced himself as one of the best young managers in Europe when he won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid earlier this season and has been on Chelsea’s radar for at least three years. There is a feeling inside Chelsea that Alonso’s style of play would make him suited to their young squad. The former Spain midfielder’s standing within the game would help him control the dressing room and could also help with attracting players to the club. The unknown is whether Alonso decides to move to England now or opts to take a break. But suggestions that he is waiting to see if the Liverpool role becomes open soon have been exaggerated. The current sense is that the Merseysiders will stick with Arne Slot this summer, although that is yet to be confirmed. Alonso is fondly remembered at Liverpool after playing for them between 2004 and 2009, winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup the following year. Chelsea entered a period of “self-reflection” after Rosenior was fired three and a half months after replacing Enzo Maresca. Something that has been acknowledged by the recruitment department is the need for the team to become more physical. That heightens the appeal of Iraola, whose Bournemouth side are one of the most intense in the Premier League. Chelsea have met Iraola to talk to him about the role. There is respect for the Spaniard’s work with Bournemouth and a sense that he is more than capable of taking on a big job. Iraola has responded to Bournemouth losing a number of key players in defence and attack during the past year by putting them in contention for Champions League qualification. The south coast club are four points off the top five with two games left. It is understood that Iraola has also met with Manchester United, although the current indications are that they will stick with Michael Carrick. Bournemouth are six points clear of Chelsea, who are desperately trying to rescue a disappointing season by snatching European qualification. McFarlane will be in the dugout when Chelsea face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

2026-05-12

Xabi Alonso decides on Chelsea job as Liverpool handed sudden update on manager

Xabi Alonso is reportedly willing to take charge at Chelsea this summer amid reports linking him with Liverpool. The Spaniard, who left Real Madrid in January, features on the shortlist as the Blues search for a long-term successor to Liam Rosenior. Chelsea have entered into discussions with Alonso's representatives. The Athletic reports that the 44-year-old is keen on the prospect. Rosenior lasted just 106 days at Stamford Bridge as Enzo Maresca's replacement, paying the price for a dreadful run of results that looks likely to deny Chelsea a Champions League spot. Yet that has seemingly done little to dampen Alonso's interest in the Stamford Bridge post. However, it remains far from guaranteed that the London club will confirm the former Liverpool midfielder as their preferred candidate. Alonso is one of six names on the shortlist, alongside Cesc Fabregas, Oliver Glasner, Filipe Luis, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva. Glasner will depart UEFA Conference League finalists Crystal Palace at the conclusion of the campaign. Iraola is also leaving Bournemouth this summer despite the prospect of guiding them into the Champions League. At present, there is no definitive decision on who Chelsea's first-choice candidate is to fill the vacancy. Alonso famously led Bayer Leverkusen to their maiden Bundesliga title during a remarkable unbeaten 2023-24 campaign, which also yielded the DFB Pokal and a Europa League final appearance, where they fell to Atalanta. Alonso has been linked with a return to Liverpool amid the talk over Arne Slot's future at Anfield, and there have been claims that they are already in contact with his representatives. Slot is under mounting pressure at Anfield and heard audible jeers during Saturday's match against Chelsea. The Blues plan to have a new head coach in place by mid-June. Regardless of whether they secure Champions League qualification, the club are gearing up for a busy summer and intend to recruit at least a new centre-back, central midfielder and left-sided winger. For the moment, the Blues are concentrating on appointing their next manager. Fabregas is determined to remain at Como, having delivered Champions League football for the Serie A side, while Iraola and Glasner will have plenty of alternatives available. Silva is also out of contract this summer, though Fulham have tabled a three-year offer to keep him. Liverpool, meanwhile, say they maintain complete confidence in the title-winning Dutchman Slot, but there is increasing unrest amongst the support. Alonso's links to the Liverpool job date back to Jurgen Klopp's announcement that he would be leaving, yet it was Slot who ultimately landed the position. Alonso is said to have turned down approaches from his former club before securing the Real Madrid post in the summer of 2025. FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page "At that time, I was focused, I had a big thing with the Leverkusen players, and we were really focused on that," Alonso later explained when asked about rejecting Liverpool. He said in another interview: "All these decisions, they need to be thorough. "You need to really think about them, and it was more about what I had, not what I'm missing. For sure, my bond with Liverpool is there, and it's still there, so there's not any kind of issue with that."

2026-05-11

Benfica will target Fulham’s Marco Silva if they lose Mourinho to Real Madrid

Benfica will target Fulham’s Marco Silva as their manager if they lose José Mourinho to Real Madrid. Mourinho is Madrid’s preferred choice and talks have taken place over the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager returning to the Bernabéu. Benfica do not want to lose the 63-year-old, who was hired last September, but need a contingency plan. They are looking at Silva as a potential replacement for Mourinho, who is expected to agree to a second spell at Madrid 13 years after his first ended. Fulham want to keep Silva and have offered him a new contract, but the 48-year-old is yet to decide whether it is time for a new challenge. Silva lifted the club into the Premier League in 2022 and has established them there, but they have struggled to sustain a push for European qualification. Moving to Benfica, who are second to Porto in Portugal, would give him the chance to coach in the Champions League. Chelsea also have Silva on their shortlist as they look for a replacement for Liam Rosenior, who was fired last month. The club are prepared to wait until the season is over before making an appointment and are understood to regard Xabi Alonso as their ideal candidate. Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024, has been out of work since his dismissal by Madrid this season. The Spaniard is thought to want his next job to be in England and has been on Chelsea’s radar for at least three years. Liverpool have been mentioned as a possible destination should they part company with Arne Slot. Chelsea have made checks on Andoni Iraola, who is leaving Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, who are losing Oliver Glasner, also want Iraola. Chelsea are monitoring Glasner and have looked at their former left-back Filipe Luís, who is waiting for his next role after leaving Flamengo. Luis was considered before Rosenior replaced Enzo Maresca in January.

2026-05-11

Chelsea chaos theory delivers another trophy chance as latest mini managerial era begins | Jonathan Wilson

Out of chaos comes trophies. It shouldn’t be so, but it’s been the Chelsea way for more than 20 years now: no matter how shambolic everything seems behind the scenes, no matter how many managers they burn through, no matter how scattergun the transfer policy, no matter how much discontent seeps from the dressing room, somehow they spend enough to keep on winning trophies. Since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, Chelsea have had 20 permanent managers (including two longish-term interims, and three who had two stints in charge) and won 20 trophies (Community Shields and Uefa Super Cups excluded). That is a bizarre statistic: almost a manager a season should not also be bringing in almost a trophy a season. Whether Calum McFarlane’s appointment to see them through to the end of the season after the sacking of Liam Rosenior last week is enough for him to be considered a 21st manager is debatable, but he now stands one game from adding a 21st trophy. This was not a great performance from Chelsea; nobody will be sitting awestruck thinking McFarlane deserves the job full-time on the back of this. It wasn’t even really a good performance. It was disjointed and bitty in a game that never developed any sort of rhythm. But there was a fight and a resilience and less of a sense of disillusioned resignation, and that definitely represents a step in the right direction. One thing hadn’t changed from what already feels like the inexplicable Rosenior interlude. Chelsea still huddled in the centre-circle before kick-off, although without using either the ball or a passing referee as a prop. A degree of self-destructiveness remained as well, and had Robert Sánchez not got his foot to Brenden Aaronson’s 15th-minute effort, all the talk would have been of the cheapness with which possession was squandered and Trevoh Chalobah’s weird misjudgment that yielded the chance. But other things felt very different. There was a fine goalkeeping performance from Sánchez, his reflex save from Joe Rodon of particular note; Chelsea’s best days tend to come when he is having a good day, as he did in the Club World Cup final. But those days have never quite been consistent enough to convince at Chelsea, and less than stellar goalkeeping, not only from Sánchez, has been a feature of this season. There was even, thrillingly, a goal, Chelsea’s first against Premier League opposition since they hammered Aston Villa on 4 March, nearly eight weeks ago in bald chronology but a lifetime in terms of the history of the club, the lifespan of a Chelsea manager being admittedly brief. And of course, given football’s habit of underlining narrative tropes, it came from Enzo Fernández, whose suspension after acknowledging he wouldn’t mind living in Madrid seemed to be what brought the recent crisis to a head, even if Rosenior probably wasn’t the one who wanted the ban. There was also a real will to win that, disappointingly for the sport, manifested in cynicism. Chelsea are certainly not the only team guilty of this, but this was a semi-final to offer a reminder that, from a laws point of view, the biggest issue facing the game is timewasting. Ifab may fret about how long throw-ins take and how to define handball, but of far more concern should be how easy it is for teams to run down the clock by feigning injury. Crying wolf is not just morally reprehensible and deleterious to the spectacle, but risks serious injury in potentially reducing the urgency to treat a genuinely stricken player. The referee Jarred Gillett never showed the slightest sign of being able to handle Chelsea’s cynicism. As they had lost five straight Premier League games, there had been a theory that Chelsea’s players, pre-season disrupted by the Club World Cup, and conditioned for a style of play heavy on possession and (comparatively) light on running, had been left shattered by Rosenior’s attempts to get them to play a more intense style of football. There probably is some truth to that but, equally, it’s impossible to ignore how much more committed they seemed here. Even if that doesn’t necessarily equate to a downing of tools, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that they’d lost faith in Rosenior. Manchester City will offer a wholly different level of opposition in the final on 16 May but there remains a possibility that Chelsea will begin and end the season with silverware, a frankly bewildering prospect given how badly they have played for so much of it, and how many obviously poor decisions have been made. McFarlane, improbably, might even become the first English manager since Harry Redknapp in 2008 to win a major English trophy. It may not make much sense, but that’s the way Chelsea have been for two decades now. Spend enough money, buy enough good players, ride the tumult, and somehow trophies seem to arrive despite repeated failures of leadership.

2026-04-26

Chelsea chaos theory delivers another trophy chance as latest mini managerial era begins | Jonathan Wilson

Out of chaos comes trophies. It shouldn’t be so, but it’s been the Chelsea way for more than 20 years now: no matter how shambolic everything seems behind the scenes, no matter how many managers they burn through, no matter how scattergun the transfer policy, no matter how much discontent seeps from the dressing room, somehow they spend enough to keep on winning trophies. Since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, Chelsea have had 20 permanent managers (including two longish-term interims, and three who had two stints in charge) and won 20 trophies (Community Shields and Uefa Super Cups excluded). That is a bizarre statistic: almost a manager a season should not also be bringing in almost a trophy a season. Whether Calum McFarlane’s appointment to see them through to the end of the season after the sacking of Liam Rosenior last week is enough for him to be considered a 21st manager is debatable, but he now stands one game from adding a 21st trophy. This was not a great performance from Chelsea; nobody will be sitting awestruck thinking McFarlane deserves the job full-time on the back of this. It wasn’t even really a good performance. It was disjointed and bitty in a game that never developed any sort of rhythm. But there was a fight and a resilience and less of a sense of disillusioned resignation, and that definitely represents a step in the right direction. One thing hadn’t changed from what already feels like the inexplicable Rosenior interlude. Chelsea still huddled in the centre-circle before kick-off, although without using either the ball or a passing referee as a prop. A degree of self-destructiveness remained as well, and had Robert Sánchez not got his foot to Brenden Aaronson’s 15th-minute effort, all the talk would have been of the cheapness with which possession was squandered and Tosin Adarabioyo’s weird misjudgment that yielded the chance. But other things felt very different. There was a fine goalkeeping performance from Sánchez, his reflex save from Joe Rodon of particular note; Chelsea’s best days tend to come when he is having a good day, as he did in the Club World Cup final. But those days have never quite been consistent enough to convince at Chelsea, and less than stellar goalkeeping, not only from Sánchez, has been a feature of this season. There was even, thrillingly, a goal, Chelsea’s first against Premier League opposition since they hammered Aston Villa on 4 March, nearly eight weeks ago in bald chronology but a lifetime in terms of the history of the club, the lifespan of a Chelsea manager being admittedly brief. And of course, given football’s habit of underlining narrative tropes, it came from Enzo Fernández, whose suspension after acknowledging he wouldn’t mind living in Madrid seemed to be what brought the recent crisis to a head, even if Rosenior probably wasn’t the one who wanted the ban. There was also a real will to win that, disappointingly for the sport, manifested in cynicism. Chelsea are certainly not the only team guilty of this, but this was a semi-final to offer a reminder that, from a laws point of view, the biggest issue facing the game is timewasting. Ifab may fret about how long throw-ins take and how to define handball, but of far more concern should be how easy it is for teams to run down the clock by feigning injury. Crying wolf is not just morally reprehensible and deleterious to the spectacle, but risks serious injury in potentially reducing the urgency to treat a genuinely stricken player. The referee Jarred Gillett never showed the slightest sign of being able to handle Chelsea’s cynicism. As they had lost five straight Premier League games, there had been a theory that Chelsea’s players, pre-season disrupted by the Club World Cup, and conditioned for a style of play heavy on possession and (comparatively) light on running, had been left shattered by Rosenior’s attempts to get them to play a more intense style of football. There probably is some truth to that but, equally, it’s impossible to ignore how much more committed they seemed here. Even if that doesn’t necessarily equate to a downing of tools, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that they’d lost faith in Rosenior. Manchester City will offer a wholly different level of opposition in the final on 16 May but there remains a possibility that Chelsea will begin and end the season with silverware, a frankly bewildering prospect given how badly they have played for so much of it, and how many obviously poor decisions have been made. McFarlane, improbably, may even become only the third English manager to win a major English trophy in not far short of 20 years, after Harry Redknapp in 2008 and Eddie Howe last season. It may not make much sense, but that’s the way Chelsea have been for two decades now. Spend enough money, buy enough good players, ride the tumult, and somehow trophies seem to arrive despite repeated failures of leadership. • This article was amended on 27 April 2026. An earlier version said no English manager has won a major English trophy since Harry Redknapp in 2008; however, Eddie Howe won the League Cup in 2025.

2026-04-26

Enzo Fernández sees off Leeds to set up Chelsea v Manchester City FA Cup final

What must Liam Rosenior have made of this? After being sacked as Chelsea’s head coach on Wednesday, his former players showed all the commitment that was missing during his four months in charge to battle their way past Leeds courtesy of a winning goal from – surprise, surprise – Enzo Fernández. Only eight years ago, Rosenior’s interim replacement Calum McFarlane was an assistant coach for Isthmian League side Whyteleafe. But even if he does not yet own a pro licence, McFarlane has now become the first English manager since a certain Frank Lampard to reach an FA Cup final, where they will face treble-chasing Manchester City next month. The irony that it was Fernández – after being dropped for two matches by Rosenior for fluttering his eyelids at Real Madrid during the last international break – that came up with the decisive goal after 23 minutes was surely not lost on his predecessor. Leeds, who were backed by an army of fans that had made the trip from West Yorkshire hoping to avenge their defeat to Chelsea after a replay in the 1970 final, tried valiantly to respond. But Daniel Farke’s side Robert Sánchez in top form for once as the much-maligned goalkeeper pulled off a string of saves to end their hopes of reaching a first final since 1973 and make it no goals from their last four visits to Wembley. For the record, Eric Cantona in their 1992 Community Shield victory over Liverpool remains their most recent one. Despite their poor record here, there had been plenty of optimism among the Leeds supporters as they made their way up Olympic Way in the April sunshine after an unbeaten run of seven matches that has steered them closer to Premier League safety. A banner referencing their song Marching on Together was unveiled in the end behind Lucas Perri’s goal before kick-off. “At least until the world stops going round,” it read, while the Chelsea fans who had been chanting for Lampard’s return on the tube gave a nod to their infamous meeting here 56 years ago with a line from the Suggs song Blue Day on theirs at the other end. “We’ve got some memories. Albeit from the 70s.” Released in 1997 when Chelsea went on to win their second FA Cup when Ruud Gullit was in the dugout, that may be slightly outdated these days. Yet the avalanche of trophies they picked up during the Roman Abramovich era must also seem like a distant memory after the last four years under the ownership of BlueCo. McFarlane, whose managerial debut was a creditable draw with City at the Etihad back in January after the departure of Enzo Maresca, now has an opportunity to win a first domestic trophy since their FA Cup triumph in 2018 when he was still working in non-league football. “Maybe at the end of the season reality will hit,” he said afterwards. “But there’s so much that’s coming thick and fast that you don’t even have time to take it in, honestly.” Even if Leeds made the more positive start, it soon became clear that this was a different Chelsea team to the one that lost so meekly against Brighton in midweek to hasten Rosenior’s departure. Brenden Aaronson had the first sight of goal when he was played in by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s flick after Trevoh Chalobah gave the ball away cheaply. But Sánchez pulled off a magnificent save to tip his shot over the crossbar and it proved to be a turning point as Chelsea seized the initiative. João Pedro found space inside the penalty area and thumped his shot off the near post after being set up by a clever ball by Fernández. Leeds did not heed the warning. Pascal Struijk failed to deal with a long ball forward and Pedro Neto made him pay as he burst down the line before delivering a perfect cross for Fernández to head home. After four straight defeats without scoring under Rosenior, it was Chelsea’s first goal since their 7-0 hammering of Port Vale in the previous round on 4 April. Whatever Farke said at half-time seemed to have the desired effect as Leeds came out for the second half with renewed intent. Inside the first 60 seconds, somehow Sánchez was able to tip over a piledriver from the substitute Anton Stach that was destined for the top corner and almost looped back under the crossbar on its way down. Chelsea responded immediately when a clever backheel from Fernández set up João Pedro inside the area but the Brazilian was unable to get his shot away. Calvert-Lewin was next to be denied by Sánchez before tempers frayed after Moisés Caicedo received the first booking of the afternoon on the hour mark, with Roméo Lavia and Ethan Ampadu exchanging a few choice words. The yellow card count was up to five by the end but Chelsea took the sting out of their opponents courtesy of some time-wasting tactics that raised the ire of the Leeds fans, who must be wondering if their luck at Wembley will ever change.

2026-04-26