To assume lower than six months in the past, Estevao Willian was asking Liam Rosenior whether or not he actually used to play skilled soccer after a wonky first contact on the touchline away at Arsenal.
This final week, Estevao was scoring a objective in coaching assisted by Xabi Alonso, with the brand new Blues boss sporting adidas predators on the pitch as he nonchalantly carried out keepie-uppies earlier than organising the 19-year-old Brazilian to go dwelling.
We are able to think about the conversations as Chelsea’s gamers all convened on Cobham, instructed to show up for 9am on day one final Thursday. How was your summer time? Get a lot relaxation? How’s the household? Go wherever good? Watched the World Cup? Heard something in regards to the new boss?
Whereas in line with his ‘chilly’ status, much less predictable might need been Cole Palmer turning up with ice. Actually, two packs of ‘COLE’D’ cubes. The 24-year-old Englishman has launched his personal vary of premium ice on the market – £4 for 4 items formed like footballs – and couldn’t resist an excellent picture op after parking up at Cobham.
Alonso may not have minded Palmer being excluded from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad an excessive amount of. Chelsea’s playmaker may do with the downtime, an opportunity to relaxation and reset after three back-to-back seasons and not using a true summer time break. They’ve had a few conversations on the coaching pitch, although apparently Alonso has not been hauling gamers into his workplace as a lot as his predecessor Rosenior, who liked a one-on-one assembly.
Chelsea are excited by the arrival of Alonso. Understandably so, as a result of he’s as huge a reputation as they may have employed this summer time. The membership’s content material crew needed to work double-quick time to show round their footage this week, and Alonso was an excellent sport all through all of it.
Xabi Alonso has accomplished his first week at Chelsea, placing the gamers by way of their paces at Cobham forward of the membership’s pre-season tour
Chelsea are excited by the arrival of Alonso. Understandably so, as a result of he’s as huge a reputation as they may have employed this summer time
Cole Palmer turned up for coaching with two packs of ‘COLE’D’ ice cubes after launching his personal vary of premium ice
Photographed holding up the Chelsea shirt, signing a fake contract, and sitting within the stand by the coaching pitch. Filmed penning his autograph on an acrylic sheet, sending a message to the supporters for social media, and for a strolling interview with the membership’s presenter, a beautiful chap known as Lee Parker. Alonso had an amazing deal to get by way of on day one.
Just a few Chelsea followers had been giddy when it appeared as if Mykhailo Mudryk was standing within the background of 1 gym-session video, regardless of the FA having handed him the utmost punishment of a four-year ban for violating their anti-doping guidelines.
Mudryk has been in London – a tennis fan, Each day Mail Sport ran into the 25-year-old Ukrainian at Wimbledon, suitably dressed all in white – however we’re nonetheless awaiting the date of his listening to after he appealed his ban with the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport. Whereas the likeness was uncanny, it was not Mudryk in that clip. It was Filip Jorgensen, the goalkeeper who’s on the market this summer time.
Jorgensen is coaching till instructed in any other case, and his involvement is an efficient signal. It could counsel Chelsea have resisted the urge to create a ‘bomb squad’ as of but. As Each day Mail Sport reported final week, Alejandro Garnacho has not been at Cobham, after he and the membership agreed he ought to go away after a single season. Chelsea spent £40million to signal him from Manchester United final summer time, and they’re now prioritising the clear separation of a everlasting sale over a mortgage with an possibility or obligation.
Palmer, together with Joao Pedro, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and so forth, had been put by way of the same old health exams final Thursday whereas Alonso carried out his media duties within the morning.
Then arrived the true work for Alonso. Coaching within the afternoon concerned speedy ball work, resembling small-sided video games and ending drills, and academy gamers collaborating resembling Olutayo Subuloye, Reggie Watson, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Landon Emenalo within the absence of World Cup representatives.
There was additionally Reggie Walsh, the 17-year-old who has added muscle since we final noticed him. Walsh received the compulsory bleep check – adopted by Palmer and Estevao in a constructive signal after their harm points – and {the teenager}’s household are assured he is able to step up and assist the primary crew this season.
Alonso has already studied the information, together with how Chelsea had been outrun by their opponents in all however one among their Premier League matches final season – a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield being the outlier – and lined the bottom complete distance out of all 20 golf equipment. When Bayer Leverkusen received the Bundesliga underneath Alonso in 2023-24, solely Hoffenheim ran additional than the German title winners.
On day one, Alonso fulfilled all his in-house media duties together with ‘signing his new contract’
Alonso is aware of that Chelsea had been outrun by their opponents in all however one among their Premier League matches final season – and can work on bettering his gamers’ health
Enhancing the physicality of Chelsea’s gamers is one space for enchancment, and Alonso has inherited hungry children. Dastan Satpayev, 17, Emmanuel Emegha, 23, and Geovany Quenda, 19, have all been concerned after arriving at Chelsea on pre-agreements from Kairat, Strasbourg and Sporting CP respectively.
In Satpayev’s case, Chelsea requested Kairat for particular permission to launch him early in order that he could possibly be assessed by Alonso, and it was granted by the Kazakhstani aspect, whose proprietor, Qairat Boranbaev, has been at Cobham.
Those that have been away on the 2026 World Cup will return as soon as they’ve accomplished their customary three weeks of downtime – until they select to chop it quick, after all.
Nicolas Jackson is scheduled to hitch whereas Chelsea are on their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia with Alonso desirous to take a more in-depth have a look at the 25-year-old striker. It’s believed the identical plan is in place for Moises Caicedo in order that he can also start working together with his new supervisor.
Enzo Fernandez has reached the World Cup last with Argentina and so the calendar tells us the £120m-valued midfielder is because of miss their pre-season overseas, if certainly he stays.
Whereas Fernandez is making ready to play Spain in entrance of 80,000 on the MetLife Stadium close to New York, his Chelsea team-mates at Cobham have been prepping for behind-closed-doors friendlies versus Crawley and Bromley, with these personal fixtures scheduled for this Saturday and Thursday and to be watched solely by the golf equipment’ teaching employees.
After that, Alonso and his squad are as a consequence of arrive in Sydney, Australia, on the weekend for a tour wherein they are going to rack up the air miles. They’ll head from Sydney (for friendlies versus Western Sydney Wanderers on July 28 and Tottenham Hotspur on August 1) to Hong Kong (Juventus, August 5) to Jakarta (AC Milan, August 8) to Malaysia (Johor Darul Ta’zim, August 9).
It has been a busy time for Chelsea’s house owners BlueCo. They needed to discover a new head coach for his or her sister aspect Strasbourg, too. They selected Hugo Oliveira, the previous assistant to Marco Silva within the Premier League and most just lately the supervisor of Famalicao in Portugal.
The afternoon of Alonso’s first day of coaching concerned ball work, resembling small-sided video games and ending drills
Enzo Fernandez has reached the World Cup last with Argentina and so the £120m-valued midfielder is because of miss Chelsea’s pre-season overseas, if certainly he stays
BlueCo sources are happy with that one. They inform us he is among the most enjoyable rising coaches in world soccer, recognised for a philosophy of taking part in on the entrance foot, and that he was needed by a number of golf equipment throughout Europe.
They’re thrilled to have acquired Alonso, too. The 44-year-old Spaniard has been persevering with to liaise with Chelsea’s sporting administrators, and it’s barely simpler now that he’s within the constructing.
Earlier than his July 1 begin date, he had been working from Spain, together with sanctioning Marc Cucurella’s £51.8m sale to Actual Madrid, chatting with Fernandez about staying, and schmoozing switch targets resembling Marco Palestra, the 21-year-old who joined from Atalanta for £47m.
There was the odd day without work for the squad – Joao Pedro used one to soak up the Wimbledon males’s last between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev – however in any other case, Alonso has been attending to work. The first objective all through all of it is to return Chelsea to the Champions League in his first season in cost.
