Inside Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea appointment and why Liverpool did not turn to manager seeking ‘mentality monsters’

It is rare for an FA Cup final to feel like a sideshow to the main story, but that is the scenario in which Chelsea found themselves at Wembley on Saturday.Xabi Alonso’s leading candidacy to succeed the sacked Liam Rosenior was the dominant talking point ahead of the game, to the extent that even interim head coach Calum McFarlane’s decision to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Manchester City was viewed within the prism of the system the Spaniard had implemented to spectacular success at Bayer Leverkusen.In the hours leading up to kick-off, it became clear that the appointment was near. Shortly after the final whistle, The Athletic revealed that a total agreement had been reached for Alonso to join Chelsea ahead of next season. The following morning, less than 12 hours after losing their seventh consecutive domestic cup final, Chelsea officially announced his arrival on a four-year contract.“His appointment reflects the club’s belief in his broad set of experiences, coaching quality and game model, leadership attributes, character and integrity, which were key to the decision to ask him to help lead the next phase of Chelsea’s journey,” the club’s announcement read.Alonso added: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.”Confirmation of the news sparked consternation within the Liverpool fanbase but has generated considerable excitement among Chelsea supporters, some of whom have been driven to protest this season against the club’s BlueCo ownership consortium and sporting leadership.BlueCo have hired and parted with four permanent head coaches in as many years. Alonso is the first manager they have appointed, at the end of a search which began with “a process of self-reflection” in the days following Rosenior’s departure last month and accelerated over the last three weeks, with several candidates considered.Every individual consulted by The Athletic for this article spoke anonymously to protect relationships. The key points include: