Chelsea’s manager, Xabi Alonso, conducted an open training session at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Sunday evening. The ticketed event provided fans and media a chance to witness the Spaniard’s coaching style ahead of his inaugural match against Western Sydney Wanderers at Accor Stadium on Tuesday.
The session featured senior players like Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Levi Colwill, with BBC Sport observing early indications of Alonso’s vision for the club following his stints at Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
The training began with a huddle in the center circle, transitioning into a pre-match warm-up and a rondo exercise, where players maintain possession in a circle while one attempts to reclaim the ball in the center.
Next, the team engaged in possession-based drills followed by crossing and finishing activities. Alonso’s extensive coaching staff operated smoothly, demonstrating a commitment to all players, including young talents like Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nichol-Jazuli, without showing preference for established names like Palmer.
Attendance for the event was approximately 4,500 fans, showing strong support for the squad, engaging with staff members such as Willie Isa and Calum McFarlane. Among the crowd were also Kazakh supporters cheering for new striker Dastan Satpaev.
Injury Update
Chelsea winger Geovany Quenda is expected to make his comeback from a minor injury during the club’s Asia tour next week. Although the 19-year-old has been training under coach Alonso, he did not travel with the squad to Sydney due to a slight setback.
He joins fellow summer recruit Emmanuel Emegha on the injury list, although the latter is expected to face a longer recovery period.
The Netherlands international, who recently joined from Strasbourg, will likely miss the rest of the overseas tour but is anticipated to return before the Premier League season kicks off.