How Xabi Alonso Dominated Chelsea During Liverpool's Fiercest Rivalry Battles

Xabi Alonso has been appointed as Chelsea's new head coach.

The 44-year-old was officially unveiled as the Blues' manager following Chelsea's FA Cup final loss to Manchester City, taking over as a permanent successor to Liam Rosenior, who was sacked on April 23 after fewer than four months at the helm.

Alonso had been without a club since departing Real Madrid in January, ending a short stint that lasted only seven months into a three-year deal he had signed the previous summer.

His hiring comes on the back of a meteoric rise in coaching, most prominently at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the club to their maiden Bundesliga championship in 2023–24 while going unbeaten throughout the domestic season. He hit the ground running at Real Madrid, winning 10 of his opening 11 La Liga games—including a victory in El Clásico—but ultimately came up short in the title race, finishing second to Barcelona and also losing the Spanish Super Cup final to the same opponents.

For Chelsea fans, though, Alonso is not just a name linked to managerial achievements but also a recognizable face from his time as a player. The Spanish midfielder spent five years in the Premier League with Liverpool, regularly going head-to-head with Chelsea in a string of fierce and high-stakes encounters.

Here's a breakdown of Alonso's record against Chelsea throughout his playing career.

Xabi Alonso's Record Against Chelsea As a Player

Xabi Alonso came up against Chelsea on at least 20 occasions during his playing days, all while wearing the Liverpool shirt.

Across those 20 clashes, he claimed six wins, five draws, and nine defeats.

Nine of those contests were in the Premier League, where he came out on top three times, while eight were played in the Champions League—a competition that routinely brought Liverpool and Chelsea together in closely fought knockout rounds throughout the 2000s. In European competition, Alonso secured just one win against Chelsea, which came in the second leg of the 2006–07 Champions League semifinal, when Liverpool advanced via a penalty shootout.

His sole goal against Chelsea also came in the Champions League, during the memorable 2008–09 quarterfinal second leg at Stamford Bridge, which ended 4–4, with Chelsea going through on the strength of their 3–1 first-leg advantage.

Alonso also appeared against Chelsea in one domestic cup showpiece—the 2006 Community Shield, which Chelsea claimed 2–1. He missed the two clubs' meeting in the 2005 League Cup final through injury.

Xabi Alonso Record vs. Chelsea