• Xabi Alonso, born in 1981 in the Basque Country into a footballing family (his father Periko won La Liga multiple times), is a retired Spanish midfield maestro now celebrated as one of the world's elite young managers.
  • As a player, he starred for Real Sociedad, Liverpool (scoring in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final), Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, winning league titles and European trophies at each club before retiring in 2017.
  • On the international stage, he earned 114 caps for Spain, lifting the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, with his 100th cap marked by a two-goal performance against France.
  • His managerial breakthrough came at Bayer Leverkusen, where he completed an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double in 2024, securing the club's first-ever Bundesliga title and a DFB-Pokal, cementing his reputation as a tactical prodigy.
  • After a short-lived but notable spell as head coach of Real Madrid in 2025, Alonso has agreed to take over as manager of Chelsea starting in July 2026, marking the next chapter in his rapidly ascending career.