There is excitement back at Chelsea. Optimism is flooding back in thanks to the appointment of Xabi Alonso and the signing of Morgan Rogers, but can Alonso be a better pick than Enzo Maresca?
The Blues get their pre-season tour of Australia underway on Tuesday morning when they take on A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers. It comes after two behind-closed-doors friendly victories.
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Rogers won’t be in action, and neither will Chelsea’s World Cup stars yet to return to pre-season training. But Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Robert Sanchez and plenty more key players will be in action tomorrow.
It sees Alonso take to the dugout in front of supporters for the first time, the real start of his Chelsea tenure. But will Alonso be a success – or will he struggle to adapt to life at Chelsea, like Liam Rosenior?
Levi Colwill’s dig at Enzo Maresca when discussing Xabi Alonso
When Maresca was relieved of his duties at the start of the year, many Chelsea players were left frustrated. Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella publicly criticised the decision to remove Maresca.
Ultimately, Maresca decided to go. But for some Chelsea players, Maresca was not the be-all and end-all. Colwill has played 79 times for Chelsea, and 43 of those came under Maresca, more than any other boss.
So when Colwill talks about former managers, it’s quite clear he is talking about Maresca. On Monday, the England ace was asked about Alonso. He spoke of how the Chelsea boss is more free-flowing than others.
“I feel like it’s just playing free-flowing football. I’ve played under a lot of managers that want you to play in the right position, really rigid. But with him it’s play what you see. Find space, exploit it at fast pace.”
Xabi Alonso v Enzo Maresca: The numbers as managers so far
The two gaffers are actually similar in terms of their managerial careers. Alonso and Maresca are both set to take on their new jobs after managing 174 senior games [Alonso] and 159 [Maresca] so far.
Who will be a bigger success – Enzo Maresca or Xabi Alonso? 🤔
City have confirmed Maresca will replace Guardiola.
In that time, Alonso has clocked up 112 wins so far, a win rate of 64.4% ahead his move to West London. Maresca’s win rate is slightly beneath that, winning just under 60% – but he didn’t manage Real Madrid.
Clearly, both are talented young managers, and if you had to pick one to have a more successful season in 2026-27, it would probably be Maresca given he is at Man City. But Alonso can be better at Chelsea.
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