Chelsea FC's pre-season campaign was all about new manager Xabi Alonso, but the 56 hours spent travelling 24,561 miles by plane had been organised long before his appointment in May. The Blues travelled further and longer than any other Premier League club, almost twice as much as during last season's US tour under former boss Enzo Maresca, visiting Sydney, Hong Kong and Jakarta before finishing in Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia, on Sunday. It was tiring for many, not least Alonso, but that did not stop him setting standards by running off the jetlag at a remarkable pace of four minutes 30 seconds per kilometre alongside members of the club staff. Having already completed a substantial amount of fitness work for his players at home, including gruelling double sessions at the club's Cobham training base in the weeks leading up to the tour, Chelsea used the trip to focus on key tactical elements despite the demands of travel and fatigue.
What happened?
The team had access to a compact but high-quality training facility at Sky Park, home of Sydney FC, in addition to an open session at Allianz Stadium that was relatively low in intensity. Alonso regularly demonstrated his passing ability, while testing players such as Estevao Willian by encouraging him to cross on his weaker right foot for team-mates to finish. Alonso also smashed a 25-yard half-volley into the net at the end of the same session - a reminder of the qualities that made him one of the game's best midfielders during spells at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Why it matters for Chelsea FC
The 44-year-old former Spain World Cup winner was on the winning side and set up most of the goals. England defender Levi Colwill confessed he was "jealous" of how well Alonso could "spray balls around". "The manager was a great player, one of the best of his generation," added midfielder Romeo Lavia. "You see that when he steps into a training session. He starts pinging balls around in a way only those who have played at the top level can. It's a privilege to be working with him, especially as a midfielder."
What comes next?
The team's pre-season tour has set the tone for Alonso's era at Chelsea FC. With the team's focus on key tactical elements and the manager's hands-on approach, it will be interesting to see how the team performs in the upcoming season. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 10th in Premier League, 52 pts, 14W-10D-14L from 38 games, recent form LWDLL. Goals this season: 58 scored, 52 conceded (+6 goal difference). Title race: 33 points behind leaders Arsenal.
