Xabi Alonso lands Chelsea job with four-year deal, starts July 1st

Chelsea's managerial search is over. Xabi Alonso, the former Real Madrid boss and ex-Liverpool midfielder, is taking the job on a four-year contract and will kick off pre-season training on July 1st.

So the Blues get their sixth permanent gaffer under the BlueCo ownership. Alonso comes straight from La Liga, where he's been building his managerial name, and this marks his first crack at the Premier League. Not exactly a small step up.

Callum McFarlane, who's been holding the fort since Liam Rosenior got sacked last month, was on the bench for Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City. That one didn't go Chelsea's way. Now the interim gig is done, and Alonso takes over a squad that's clearly been in limbo waiting for answers.

The Spaniard's got pedigree. He knows how to win at the highest level from his playing days at Merseyside and the Bernabéu, and he's proven he can handle a dressing room as a manager too. Whether he can fix whatever's broken at Stamford Bridge is the real question—and whether he'll actually be allowed to build something long-term before the next round of changes happens.

Alonso's been saying the right things, apparently feeling "immense pride" about the gig. Standard stuff, but he'll need more than platitudes when the season kicks off. Chelsea's been through the wringer with managerial instability, and fans will be hoping this one actually sticks around longer than a season.