Xabi Alonso urged his Chelsea players to blend intense passion with composure as he prepares for his first London derby against Tottenham. The Spanish boss dismissed historical records, insisting his squad must play with intelligence and heart at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso prepares for first taste of fierce London derby
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso will experience the intense rivalry between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur for the first time on Saturday evening. The Blues enter the clash in strong domestic form, having scored seven goals across recent victories against Bournemouth and Everton.
Despite Chelsea holding a formidable record of just one home defeat against Spurs in 41 games across all competitions, Alonso insisted past statistics hold no value.
"Last week you asked me about another data that we broke. That means nothing," Alonso stated. "We need to prove again that we can continue that run."
Manager demands blend of passion and emotional discipline
Emphasizing the electric atmosphere expected at Stamford Bridge, Alonso urged his squad to channel the crowd's energy without losing composure. "Every derby is special. You feel the energy, you feel the excitement from the stands," Alonso observed.
"We need to have a good mentality for that. We need to have good emotional control as well, because in the derbies there's a lot of passion."
"Play football with heart, this is what we want," the manager demanded.
Midfield battle and squad management key for Alonso
Alonso highlighted the midfield duel as a pivotal tactical arena, praising the clarity of Roberto De Zerbi's tactical principles at Tottenham. "The midfield is a key part of the game," Alonso noted. "We need a very complete game, offensively, defensively, mentality-wise."
Addressing player rotation across his squad, Alonso added: "Whenever you are given the chance, you need to show that you are for that."
"They are training well... I am confident that whoever has to play will be ready."
Monumental week ahead for Chelsea
The London derby marks the start of a grueling week for Alonso's side, which includes high-profile encounters against Liverpool and Manchester United.
"This happens in Premier League... this week is going to be three massive games against top clubs," Alonso concluded.
Chelsea host Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday at 17:30 BST.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
