Football Disussion | What next for Chelsea as they move closer to appointing Alonso

Xabi Alonso looks set to be announced as the permanent replacement to Liam Rosenior 

Is this the first stage of a recovery after a terrible few months for the club?

Author | Lewis W

Only a few hundred dispirited Chelsea fans were still inside Wembley as Cole Palmer and his team-mates trudged up the steps to collect their losers' medals following their FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City.

The news of Xabi Alonso’s impending arrival as the club’s new manager, which filtered through in the aftermath of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat, would at least have lifted the mood.

The appointment of the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss, 44, is expected to be confirmed in the coming days, with Alonso due to be unveiled during pre-season after his contract officially begins on 1 July.

Win or lose at Wembley, Chelsea had already been close to making a decision on Liam Rosenior’s replacement and were 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 towards the future.

Although Alonso, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career and guided Bayer Leverkusen to league and cup success in Germany, is an exciting appointment for supporters, there is also an acceptance that he faces a difficult task.

Can Chelsea cope without European football?

Chelsea are heading into a turbulent summer after the FA Cup final defeat denied them another route into European competition.

Champions League qualification is already out of reach, while a place in the Europa League appears unlikely with the club currently ninth in the Premier League with two games remaining and probably needing at least a seventh-place finish.

Chelsea fans have been organising protests about the club’s ownership model

Conference League football would do little to improve finances or excite supporters accustomed to facing Europe’s elite.

There remains a realistic chance that Chelsea will miss out on Uefa competition altogether. Club sources, however, strongly reject suggestions they would prefer to avoid qualifying for lesser competitions, or would be content without European football, despite their settlement with financial regulators following significant spending on transfers.

It leaves Alonso inheriting a side low on confidence, operating under financial constraints and facing wider personnel challenges.