The head coach of London’s Chelsea, Xabi Alonso, confessed that he held private meetings with the club's management in London and his hometown of San Sebastián in early May to ensure he was making the right decision.
Over three weeks, the parties discussed the current state of the team and its future development direction. According to the Spanish specialist, these negotiations helped alleviate any concerns he had before signing the contract:
I had an outside view of Chelsea.
I saw both the positives and my concerns, so I voiced them. We ended up having the same ideas and a similar analysis to begin moving forward together. That’s why we are taking these steps together and making decisions to create a strong team.
The alignment of views on the squad restructuring and the club's strategy was a key factor that convinced Xabi Alonso to take charge of the London side before the start of the new season.
