As Chelsea FC prepare to host Real Sociedad in Xabi Alonso's first home game as Blues manager, we recap the formative role our opponents played in the Spaniard's development as a player and a coach. The Blues kick off our final match of pre-season against Real Sociedad at 2pm on Saturday, when Alonso will be leading the team from the Stamford Bridge dugout for the first time, with tickets still available on general sale here. Alonso's links to Real Sociedad start before he was even born, with his father Periko Alonso joining them as a player in 1977. In 1981, the year of Xabi's birth, Periko won his and Sociedad's first-ever La Liga title. The next season they made it back-to-back titles, with those two triumphs remaining the only top-flight league wins in the club's history. After leaving Barcelona, where he won another title, Periko moved his family back to San Sebastian – home to Saturday's opponents – when his playing career came to an end, meaning Xabi grew up with Sociedad as his local club. It was only natural, then, that the young midfielder would start his professional career by joining the youth ranks of Real Sociedad, as his older brother Mikel Alonso had. Xabi quickly progressed to make his senior debut at the age of 18 but, after a brief spell with his father as caretaker manager, it was under the guidance of legendary Welsh coach John Toshack that his career really took off. Toshack was so impressed he made Alonso his Real Sociedad captain at the age of just 19 in the midst of a fierce relegation battle. Under the young midfielder's leadership, Sociedad's fortunes improved dramatically, as they established themselves in La Liga's midtable. Toshack recognised his skipper's potential to the extent of arranging personalised training sessions based around his development, later claiming: 'I invested a lot of time and effort into Xabi's development, but it was worth every moment. Everyone seemed to play better when he was on the pitch'. Better still was to come. In 2003 Real Sociedad finished second in La Liga, just two points behind winners Real Madrid. It marked their best season since Alonso's father had worn the shirt, and secured the club's first-ever qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Alonso's contribution was clear, netting 12 goals from midfield that season and receiving the Best Spanish Player award from newspaper Don Balon. Spain manager Inaki Saez was impressed, calling Xabi up to his senior squad while claiming he 'sees football with an extraordinary clarity'. That is a quality which continued to serve Alonso well as a player and a manager. Meanwhile, the midfielder was now being referred to as 'Don Xabi' by the Sociedad supporters – and stadium announcer – as they embarked on a memorable Champions League debut. Opening wins over Olympiacos and Galatasaray – Alonso getting the winning goal in the latter – along with a battling home draw with Juventus secured their place in the knockout rounds at the first attempt. The additional workload eventually took its toll an a relatively small squad unused to competing in Europe, with a last-16 exit to Lyon in the Champions League and 15th-place finish in La Liga, but Alonso's performances had again been of the highest level, prompting Liverpool to edge out Real Madrid in a bidding war for his signature. Xabi Alonso's Real Sociedad story wasn't quite finished yet, though. After hanging up his boots, the Spaniard returned to San Sebastian to manage Real Sociedad.