When Rafa Benitez talks about surviving Stamford Bridge, he speaks from scar tissue. The Spaniard won Chelsea the Europa League in 2013 and still never won over a sceptical fanbase during his 48-game interim spell, making his endorsement of Xabi Alonso this week both a vote of confidence and a coded warning.
Speaking to SKY SPORT NEWS alongside Simon Jordan and Jim White, Benitez backed the new Chelsea boss while acknowledging the scale of the job. Chelsea is not easy, he conceded, but he believes Alonso can do well.
The relationship gives the words weight. Alonso was Benitez’s midfield metronome at Liverpool, an architect of the 2005 Champions League miracle in Istanbul. Two decades later, the pupil has taken a seat that the mentor once described through hard experience.
Benitez’s fuller comments carried a sharper edge aimed above the dugout:
“I think Alonso didn’t have the support he needed from the top,” he said of the coach’s previous role, adding that if Chelsea backs him, “he’s a good coach, and he will do well.”
That caveat matters at a club where patience is scarce. Liam Rosenior, another promising young manager, lasted just 23 games in the Chelsea job, and former defender Glen Johnson recently described Stamford Bridge as probably the hottest seat in world football, where a manager must “win immediately.”
Alonso at least inherits momentum. Chelsea have handed him a new signing, Geovany Quenda, on a contract to 2034, banked £50m from Andrey Santos’s sale to Manchester United, and open the Premier League season against Fulham on August 24.
“Chelsea is NOT easy, but I think he can do well” 📈
Rafa Benitez can see Xabi Alonso turning around the Blues’ fortunes 🔵 pic.twitter.com/5OorVqHP52
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 10, 2026
Benitez also tipped fellow Spaniard Andoni Iraola to thrive at Liverpool, setting up a compelling subplot between his two former clubs.
Whether Chelsea’s hierarchy heeds his advice about support from the top may decide which prediction ages better. iShareNews will follow both benches all season.
Also Read | Why Michael Edwards Is Walking Away From Liverpool Again
Last Updated on July 10, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
