Bonding & building - what we learned about Alonso's Chelsea in pre-season
Summary
Chelsea's pre-season tour involved long-distance travel across Asia and Australia, focusing on fitness and tactical work under new manager Xabi Alonso. Alonso demonstrated a hands-on coaching style and set high standards during the trip, while younger players also got opportunities for growth and rest.Key Facts
- Chelsea traveled over 24,500 miles during their pre-season tour, visiting Sydney, Hong Kong, Jakarta, and Malaysia.
- The tour was arranged before Xabi Alonso became the new manager in May.
- Alonso ran to manage jetlag and actively participated in training and a staff match, showing his playing skills.
- The team used a private Airbus A340 to ease travel and adjusted players to local time zones.
- Training included work on tactical skills and encouraged players to improve weaker skills, like crossing with the weaker foot.
- Younger players, including Sydney-born Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, had chances to perform and experience local culture.
- Players had time for leisure activities such as cinema visits, boat trips, and games at the hotel.
- Chelsea played against Tottenham in front of 80,000 fans during the tour.
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