Chelsea have been told what Xabi Alonso does better than Mikel Arteta as a manager. That comes from a midfielder who has played under both managers.
Alonso was confirmed on Sunday as Chelsea’s next permanent manager on a four-year contract that begins on July 1. It is Alonso’s first job since he was fired from Real Madrid.
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The former midfielder surprised the world in his first managerial job at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the club to the Bundesliga title – undefeated.
A key player at Bayer Leverkusen was Granit Xhaka, who left Arsenal for Germany in a deal worth around £21 million.
Xhaka: “Mikel has his philosophy, and it is
Less than three years after Xhaka’s exit, Arteta is chasing the Premier League title with Arsenal – and could also add the Champions League trophy to his collection. At the same time, Alonso is preparing to return to the English top division.
Xhaka was asked in 2024 by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to explain the difference between Alonso and Arteta – who have been friends since childhood.
“Mikel has his philosophy and it is,” Xhaka said.
“You know he’s always changing sides, exonerating a player and letting him jump, to give an example.
“For example, always playing with a back four and never switching to a five – or never switching to a 4-4-2 with two pure strikers. You had that 4-3-3 formation with a six and two eights.
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“Xabi can play with both fours and fives”
“Xabi is a little different. I think Xabi can play with back fours, but he can also play with back fives, you see? What he always wants is two sixes – who don’t run everywhere, but rather hold their positions more often.
“But I think if you’re a coach, you need your own philosophy, your own tactics and your own ideas. Of course, you can always change one or two things, but you can’t change very many things, you know? Xhaka said.
