Former Chelsea and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has told GOAL why Xabi Alonso would be taking a big risk by agreeing to fill “the hottest seat in world football” at Stamford Bridge. With strong ties to Anfield, the World Cup winner is said to be in contention for a Premier League return in west London. Rafa Benitez has previously trodden that path, and proved how difficult it can be to win over supporters that will demand immediate results.
Fulham find themselves in a state of limbo regarding the future of manager Marco Silva as interest from Chelsea continues to intensify. Despite a long-standing contract offer on the table, the Portuguese tactician is taking his time to evaluate his next move while the Blues consider him for their vacant head coach role.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has thrown a curveball into the conversation regarding who should succeed Arne Slot at Anfield, suggesting that Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola could be the ideal candidate. While Xabi Alonso has long been the frontrunner to take over on Merseyside, Nicol has expressed reservations following the Spaniard's difficult tenure in La Liga.
Is this really the best you can do, Florentino Perez? When Real Madrid sacked Xabi Alonso after less than five months on the job, there figured to be, at least, some sort of succession plan. If Alonso, who was so hyped, so early, was to walk away, then it only made sense that Los Blancos, power that they are, would have someone tailor-made to walk into the role.
Paris Saint-Germain knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League for the second consecutive season at Anfield on Tuesday evening. Unsurprisingly, Ousmane Dembele proved decisive once again. Just over a year after scoring the only goal of the second leg of the two teams' last-16 tie, which eventually led to PSG progressing on penalties, the winger returned to Merseyside to score twice in a 2-0 win that earned the defending champions a comprehensive 4-0 win on aggregate.
Brazilian forward Endrick has broken his silence on his challenging spell under manager Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid. After struggling for minutes and facing mental hurdles, the teenager is now thriving on loan at Lyon. Rather than holding a grudge, the youngster credits his difficult period at the Bernabeu for paving the way to his remarkable resurgence.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has candidly addressed his relationship with former manager Xabi Alonso, admitting that he struggled to establish a "connection" with the Spaniard during his tenure. Speaking ahead of a massive Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, the Brazilian also defended his partnership with Kylian Mbappe, insisting their bond remains "incredible" despite external criticism.
Liverpool legend John Barnes has jumped to the defence of under-fire manager Arne Slot, urging the club to avoid the temptation of appointing former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso. Despite a mounting crisis at Anfield, the former England international believes the Dutchman deserves more time to fix the team's current slump.
The Arne Slot era at Liverpool reached a new low on Saturday as the travelling Reds fans turned their backs on the team during a devastating 4-0 FA Cup exit at Manchester City. With the game well beyond reach, thousands of supporters opted for an early exit while making their preferred replacement for the Dutchman crystal clear.