Alonso Era Begins at Chelsea as McFarlane Prepares for Spurs Showdown
On the eve of one of English football’s great grudge fixtures, Chelsea’s interim head coach Calum McFarlane walked into the Cobham media room knowing exactly what was coming. Tottenham are at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the penultimate game of Chelsea’s Premier League season, a match loaded with history, needle and European implications.
Yet almost every question was about a man who will not take charge of that game, or the next one.
Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea confirmed on Monday morning that Alonso has agreed a four-year deal to become the club’s new permanent head coach, succeeding Liam Rosenior. The Spaniard officially starts on July 1. Until then, the job – and the spotlight – remains McFarlane’s.
The dynamic was clear. McFarlane is preparing for Spurs. The room wanted to talk about the future.
“Everyone is excited”: Dressing room reaction to Alonso
If there were any doubts about how Alonso’s appointment has landed inside the camp, McFarlane brushed them aside quickly.
“Everyone is excited,” he said. “He's a great coach, won major trophies, a great playing career. He will have lots of respect from everyone. We're very excited.”
It was as close to a collective exhale as Chelsea have had since Saturday. The club’s FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City had cut deep, the latest near miss in a season of sharp swings. Within 24 hours, the mood shifted. News of Alonso’s agreement, then the official announcement, gave supporters and players a clear focal point for what comes next.
McFarlane revealed he has already heard from the incoming head coach.
“He sent me a text message yesterday,” he added. “I will keep that private, but mainly about the final.”
A small detail, but a telling one. Alonso is not in the building yet, but his presence is already being felt.
Interim in the spotlight, future unresolved
With Alonso’s arrival confirmed, the obvious question followed: will McFarlane be part of the new backroom staff?
“I don't know at this moment in time,” he admitted. Asked again, this time whether he would *like* to work with Alonso, he kept his focus on the present. “I haven't thought about that. There's so much to prepare for.”
For now, his remit is simple and demanding: two games, six points, and a late push for European football.
“We're very, very focused,” he said. “We need to win the next two games to give ourselves the best chance to finish as high in the table as possible and get European football.”
He is the caretaker with a short contract and a big responsibility, trying to drive a team through the finish line while the fanbase gazes beyond it.
Chelsea v Spurs: rivalry, stakes and no need for extra motivation
If Alonso’s name dominated the questions, the fixture itself never drifted far from McFarlane’s mind. Chelsea v Tottenham rarely needs selling. The rivalry is baked in.
“The players have showed fight and heart in the last two games,” he said. “For me, that's not an issue. Everyone knows about the rivalry but both teams also have lots to play for. Both teams are fighting for the points, so we shouldn't need to add extra motivation but it will naturally be there.”
Chelsea’s season still has something tangible on the line. So does Tottenham’s. That usually means a frantic night under the Stamford Bridge lights, and McFarlane made it clear his players understand the stakes.
Team news: caution over Lavia, options in defence
The interim coach struck a careful tone when it came to his squad.
Romeo Lavia, whose season has already been punctuated by setbacks, is again being handled with care.
“Romeo took a slight knock in the build-up to the game, nothing major,” McFarlane explained. “With Romeo, we don't want to take that risk. We need to be careful.”
Benoit Badiashile and Malang Sarr were left out of the squad at the weekend, but McFarlane suggested that was a selection call rather than a medical bulletin.
“Benoit and Mamadou didn't make the squad – we can use them in the next two games potentially. We have a lot of players in their position.”
As for the rest, clarity will come late.
“They're gonna train this afternoon and we will have a much better idea of where they are.”
Levi Colwill’s return and a delicate balancing act
One of the clear positives of recent days has been the return of Levi Colwill, who has stepped back into the side in demanding circumstances.
“It's been great to have Levi back – great for English football as well,” McFarlane said. “We have a really talented, high potential player here. To perform away at Anfield and in the FA Cup final, we're all really excited about Levi.”
The temptation to start him again against Spurs is obvious. So is the risk.
“We need to be careful with Levi,” McFarlane warned. “He's performed well in those two games. We'll see how he looks today.”
Colwill’s resurgence is not just a short-term boost. He is exactly the kind of player Alonso is expected to build around – young, technically assured, and comfortable in big arenas. For now, though, McFarlane’s job is to judge whether he has one more high-intensity outing in his legs this week.
“We're a massive club”: why Alonso chose Chelsea
If some outside Stamford Bridge were surprised that Alonso, one of Europe’s most coveted young coaches, chose Chelsea as his next step, McFarlane was not among them.
“It doesn't surprise me, we're a massive club with some of the best players in the world,” he said.
On the appointment itself, he did not hide his enthusiasm.
“Really exciting news. Great coach with a massive pedigree. We're all really looking forward to working with Xabi.”
Alonso arrives with the kind of aura that tends to change the temperature of a dressing room. McFarlane alluded to that unspoken power.
Xabi Alonso commands respect – there is no question about that. His playing career, his early work as a manager, the trophies, the style, the personality. This is the sort of figure a young, talented, sometimes erratic squad can rally behind.
That matters now, and it will matter even more in the summer. Players want to play for names like that. So do transfer targets.
Two games, one rivalry, and a new chapter waiting
The press conference eventually wound down, the questions about Alonso exhausted for the day. McFarlane stepped away knowing his words will soon matter less than his points tally.
Spurs come to the Bridge next, then one final league outing. Six points could change the complexion of Chelsea’s season and the platform Alonso inherits. Anything less, and the new manager’s first task becomes even steeper.
For McFarlane, there is no long-term guarantee, no promise of a place in the new regime. Just two matches, a fierce London rival, and the chance to hand Xabi Alonso a Chelsea side still in the European conversation when he walks through the door on July 1.
