Xabi Alonso, the new head coach of Chelsea, has revealed the reason behind coaching the Blues instead of heading to Liverpool, the club where he played for five years and won the UEFA Champions League title in the 2004-2005 season.

The Spaniard confirmed that his decision to join the London side and prefer it over his former club Liverpool was primarily about "the right timing." The Spanish coach's remarks, who led his first training sessions last week after being officially appointed in May, shed light on the behind-the-scenes of his major coaching move in the English Premier League.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, when asked why he chose Chelsea instead of Liverpool, which sacked its manager Arne Slot just two weeks after Alonso's arrival in West London, he commented: "It's just about timing. I am here today at Stamford Bridge to take on this big challenge; Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs, and I am really looking forward to achieving success here."

Alonso's name has long been linked with coaching Liverpool; he was a prominent candidate to succeed German Jürgen Klopp after his departure in 2024, and interest was renewed this year with growing calls for Slot's departure. Many also based their nomination of Alonso to coach Liverpool on his superb ability to develop talent, citing getting the best out of the duo Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong during their time under his guidance at German side Bayer Leverkusen.

However, the Spanish coach ended up at Chelsea, where he was given the title of "Head Coach" instead of "Manager" which his predecessors held at the club. Regarding whether this title gives him broader authority and powers, Alonso explained: "What I like is teamwork; we are all partners in the decisions we make and bear responsibility together. The ultimate goal is clear to me, and this is the ideal way things should be managed."

The Spanish coach concluded his interview expressing great confidence in Chelsea's future, saying: "We are confident that we are on the right path and in the best way; the potential is there, there is a strong base and a good team already. All we need now is to strengthen this group in the right way and make the right decisions to do so."

Alonso emphasized full harmony and alignment between him and the club's sporting management, stressing that the primary goal at this current stage is to build a balanced squad capable of forming a competitive and strong team that returns Chelsea to the podium.

It is worth noting that Alonso left his coaching role at Real Madrid last January after losing the Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona, and he hopes to restore glory to Chelsea, which finished last season in tenth place, thus missing out on participation in European competitions next season.