Xabi Alonso has publicly addressed his abrupt departure from Real Madrid for the first time, telling The Athletic that the wound from his seven-month tenure is now closed. “Luckily, there are not too many scars in my career. I got a scar, now it is healed and I am determined to enjoy this next step as I did when I started in Madrid,” the 44-year-old said, framing the experience as a necessary lesson rather than a lasting setback.

The former Spain midfielder, who won the World Cup in 2010, left the Bernabéu by mutual consent in January after a run of poor results and reported disputes with key players such as Vinícius Jr. He had been appointed only in May 2025, and despite a win rate above 70 percent, the club’s exacting standards cut short a project that had begun with high expectations. Alonso acknowledged the disappointment but stressed his own rigorous self-examination: “I have been very critical of myself, thinking about what I could have done better. You learn from the disappointment of things.”

In the four months between leaving Madrid and joining Chelsea, Alonso deliberately stepped away from the game. He used the time, he said, “mainly to reset energy,” watching little football and focusing on personal recovery. That pause appears to have restored the intensity he now brings to Chelsea’s pre-season tour in Australia, where he has been fully involved in training sessions, delivering precise passes and pulling players aside for individual drills. Centre-back Levi Colwill remarked that watching Alonso’s technical quality made him feel “jealous.”

The move to Stamford Bridge was not impulsive. Alonso held discreet meetings in London and his hometown of San Sebastian over three weeks in early May, ensuring his vision aligned with that of the club’s sporting directors. Chelsea have backed that vision with significant investment, including the £117 million signing of forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and a broader outlay reported at nearly 388 million euros. Alonso, who made history at Bayer Leverkusen by delivering an unprecedented domestic double in 2024, now inherits a squad he believes has “high potential for improvement” despite last season’s underperformance.

With the scar from Madrid acknowledged and set aside, Alonso’s immediate task is to build momentum on the pitch. Chelsea’s pre-season continues with a stop in Hong Kong, where the manager will integrate his full squad and begin translating his self-described “passion and enthusiasm” into a coherent competitive identity.