Callum McFarlane heaps praise on “really exciting” Xabi Alonso arrival at Chelsea | OneFootball

Interim Chelsea head coach Callum McFarlane has heaped praise on his successor, Xabi Alonso, following his appointment as the club’s new permanent manager.

Alonso was officially announced as Chelsea’s new manager after the crushing FA Cup final defeat against Manchester City over the weekend.

After four years with no significant progress on the pitch, Chelsea are looking ahead to a much-needed restart this summer, with Alonso’s arrival expected to herald a new era.

The Spaniard is widely described as one of the best young managers in the world following his exploits with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

Alonso arrives on the back of a short yet tumultuous spell with Real Madrid, where internal disputes with some of the senior players forced him out of the club.

However, that hardly affected his reputation as an elite operator with world-class potential, and his arrival has sparked plenty of excitement within the Chelsea fan base and dressing room.

McFarlane confirmed as much during his pre-match press conference, asserting that both he and the players are looking forward to life under Alonso.

“Yeah, really exciting news,” McFarlane said. “Great coach, massive pedigree. Yeah, really exciting for the club. We’re all looking forward to working with Xabi [Alonso].”

On Chelsea being able to attract a manager of Alonso’s pedigree, McFarlane said: “Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me. It’s a massive club. I think we’ve got really exciting players.

“Some of the best players in the world who have shown even though it’s been a disappointing season, they have shown at times this year the quality that we have.

“So yes, it’s a massive club, and it will always attract top players and top managers.”

McFarlane was brought in to steady a sinking ship, but has struggled to make any real impact, winning just one of his four games in charge so far.

Sitting 10th in the Premier League table, Chelsea are on course to miss out on a place in Europe altogether, although they still have two games to change that.